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Salmonella Outbreak Tied to Mexican Jalapeños Has Sickened 345 People Across 27 States

CDC and FDA are tracking illnesses linked to jalapeños from a single Sinaloa supplier that made their way into salsas, dips, and prepared foods at major grocery chains.

Meridians Life Desk

Published 13 August 2026 · Updated 13 August 2026 · 4 min read

Salmonella Outbreak Tied to Mexican Jalapeños Has Sickened 345 People Across 27 StatesFood
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The short answer

  • A Salmonella outbreak linked to jalapeños from Sinaloa, Mexico has sickened 345 people in 27 states, with 36 hospitalizations and no deaths reported.
  • The peppers, distributed by Coast Citrus Distributors, ended up in dips, salsas, guacamole, and prepared foods sold at Kroger, Target, Walmart, Whole Foods, and other chains.
  • Chipotle and Qdoba both stopped using the recalled jalapeños after being notified and say they're no longer a risk.
  • Illness onset dates run from June 19 to July 20, meaning some contaminated product may still be sitting in home refrigerators.

A Salmonella outbreak traced to jalapeño peppers from Sinaloa, Mexico has sickened 345 people across 27 states, with 36 hospitalizations and no deaths reported as of the CDC's latest update. The peppers moved through the supply chain before anyone caught the contamination, ending up not just as loose produce but baked into salsas, dips, and prepared foods sold at some of the country's biggest grocery chains.

The scope of the outbreak

  • 345 confirmed illnesses across 27 states, per CDC
  • 36 hospitalizations; zero deaths reported
  • Illness onset dates span June 19 to July 20, 2026
  • Source: jalapeños from Sinaloa, Mexico, distributed by Coast Citrus Distributors

Where the peppers ended up

Coast Citrus Distributors' jalapeños were sent primarily to restaurants and wholesale operations, but downstream processors used them in dips, salsas, guacamole, and other prepared foods that reached retail shelves at Hannaford, Kroger, Stop & Shop, Target, Trader Joe's, Walmart, and Whole Foods. Taylor Fresh Foods issued its own recall of affected products on August 9. Separately, USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service flagged meat and poultry products containing the recalled jalapeños. Chipotle Mexican Grill and Qdoba both stopped using the peppers once notified and say they no longer pose a risk to customers.

What to do if you have jalapeños at home

  • Don't eat, sell, or serve any product on the recall list — check FDA's and USDA's recall pages for updates, since the list has been expanding
  • If you can't confirm the source of jalapeños you already bought, throw them out
  • Wash and sanitize any surfaces, cutting boards, or containers that touched the peppers
  • Salmonella symptoms (diarrhea, fever, stomach cramps) typically appear 6 hours to 6 days after exposure; contact a doctor if symptoms are severe, especially for young children, older adults, or people who are immunocompromised

Sources

Every factual claim above is traceable to these documents. Check them — that is why they are here.

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Meridians Life Desk is an editorial desk at Meridians, not an individual. A desk byline means the article was produced and fact-checked to that desk's published standards. Read our editorial standards and corrections policy.

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