Recall roundup: The products tied to a multistate salmonella outbreak

Digital Curator

Some brands of guacamole and salsa are joining lettuce on the list of hot-weather favorites affected by food-borne illness risks.

On Wednesday, the FDA released updated information about the ongoing salmonella outbreak related to jalapeño peppers from Sinaloa, Mexico, distributed by Coast Citrus Distributors.

Based on data from the CDC, 431 people in 32 states have been infected with the outbreak strain of salmonella. There have been 57 hospitalizations and no deaths.

According to the FDA, illnesses started on dates ranging from June 19 to Aug. 2. Ninety-one percent of people interviewed reported having eaten at a Mexican restaurant, including Chipotle and Qdoba, before they got sick, between July 14 and 16.

Chipotle and Qdoba both received jalapeños imported by Coast Citrus Distributors. Chipotle switched its jalapeño supplier for affected stores beginning on July 20 and is no longer serving the affected product. Qdoba also stopped using jalapeños in its stores on July 28. The FDA said it does not consider there to be an ongoing risk from those restaurants because of the actions they’ve taken.

The potentially affected jalapeños also reached grocery stores in a variety of prepared foods as well as in their whole form. Here’s a list of recalled products, with links to full lists of products from each retailer.

• Various salsa and dip products, and other products with recalled jalapeños recalled by Taylor Fresh Foods
• Select salsas, guacamole, pico de gallo, and prepared foods products in Whole Foods Market’s produce and prepared foods departments
• NatureBest-brand and HEB-brand salsas, soup mix and other products with recalled jalapeños
• Jalapeño peppers distributed by Dairyland Produce, LLC, doing business as Hardie’s Fresh Foods

The USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service also issued a public health alert for meat and poultry products containing FDA-regulated jalapeños that may be contaminated with salmonella.

The most common symptoms of salmonellosis are diarrhea, abdominal cramps and fever within six hours to six days after eating the contaminated item. The illness usually lasts four to seven days, and most people recover without treatment. Older adults, infants and people with weakened immune systems are more likely to become seriously ill.