FSIS and FDA recall 18 ready-to-eat meat products with jalapeños linked to a 345-person salmonella outbreak. Chipotle and QDOBA stopped using the peppers.
A salmonella outbreak traced to fresh jalapeño peppers has sickened 345 people across 27 states and prompted the recall of at least 18 ready-to-eat meat and poultry products, federal regulators said. The Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) reported 36 hospitalizations.
The contaminated jalapeños were grown in Sinaloa, Mexico, and distributed in the U.S. by Coast Citrus Distributors, the FDA said. Many of the reported illnesses have been tied to Mexican-style restaurants rather than the prepared foods covered by the alert.
The recalled meat products, which contain the FDA-regulated jalapeños, fall under the "Fully Cooked - Not Shelf Stable" category. They include ready-to-eat wraps, bowls and salads sold at Walmart, Kroger, H-E-B, Albertsons, Randalls, Tom Thumb, Wawa, Hannaford, RaceTrac and Dillons. Federal regulators said no confirmed illnesses have been linked to the recalled meat and poultry products so far.
The products were distributed in 24 states: Alabama, Arkansas, Connecticut, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont and West Virginia.
Brands impacted include Taylor Farms, Deli Kitchen, H-E-B's Higher Harvest and Meal Simple brands, Marketside, Wawa, Albertsons, Randalls, Tom Thumb and Hannaford. The prepared meals carry use-by dates primarily ranging from Aug. 3 through Aug. 16, 2026.
Taylor Farms and Deli Kitchen products include the Chipotle Cheddar Chicken Wrap, sold at Kroger and Dillons, with use-by dates from Aug. 7 to Aug. 13; Cajun Chicken Mashed Potatoes & Corn, sold at Kroger, with use-by dates from Aug. 7 to Aug. 14; Taylor Farms Chicken Enchiladas, sold at Kroger, with use-by dates from Aug. 7 to Aug. 16; and RaceTrac Southwest Style Salad Chicken, with use-by dates from Aug. 7 to Aug. 13.
H-E-B recalled products under its Higher Harvest and Meal Simple brands include the Chicken & Beef Chimichurri, with use-by dates of Aug. 6, Aug. 9 and Aug. 13; and Creamy Cilantro Chicken, with use-by dates between Aug. 4 and Aug. 12. Additional recalled H-E-B products include the Southwest Chicken Shake Rattle Bowls, with use-by dates from Aug. 7 to Aug. 15; Meal Simple Pork Carnitas Bowl and Chicken & Rice with Cilantro Jalapeño Sauce, both with use-by dates of Aug. 3, Aug. 7, Aug. 10 and Aug. 14.
Marketside and Wawa recalled products include Marketside Southwest Style Salad with Chicken, sold at Walmart, with use-by dates from Aug. 8 to Aug. 16, and Wawa Spicy Chipotle Chicken Wrap, with use-by dates from Aug. 6 to Aug. 8. Albertsons, Randalls and Tom Thumb recalled pre-made Beef Barbacoa Bowls, Chile Lime Rice Chicken Bowls, Pork Chile Verde Bowls and Chipotle Chicken Wraps, with use-by dates ranging from Aug. 7 to Aug. 12. Hannaford recalled Taylor Farms Classic Beef Burritos, Chipotle Chicken Tortilla Wraps and Chicken Verde Burritos, with use-by dates ranging from Aug. 7 to Aug. 12.
Federal regulators said illnesses linked to the jalapeño outbreak began between June 19 and July 20. Among 191 infected individuals interviewed by investigators, 93% reported eating at a Mexican-style restaurant before becoming ill. The reported meal dates ranged from June 14 to July 14.
Both Chipotle Mexican Grill and QDOBA received contaminated jalapeños imported from Sinaloa, according to officials. Chipotle switched its jalapeño supplier for affected locations beginning July 20 and is no longer serving the affected product. QDOBA stopped using jalapeños at all of its restaurants on July 28. Coast Citrus Distributors agreed to recall the remaining implicated product and is no longer importing jalapeños from the grower linked to the outbreak.
The FDA said those containment measures mean there is no current ongoing risk to consumers eating at those establishments. FSIS said it expects additional downstream products to be identified as the ingredient recall progresses.
Eating food contaminated with salmonella can cause salmonellosis, with symptoms including diarrhea, stomach cramps and fever. Symptoms can begin within six hours to six days after exposure, and most people recover within four to seven days without treatment. Severe illness can occur among older adults, infants and people with weakened immune systems.
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