USDA Alert: Jalapeño Recall Hits Meat, Poultry Products

The company has agreed to the recall and is working with the FDA to identify and contact affected customers. It has also stopped importing from the grower identified during the investigation. The recalled peppers were distributed to wholesalers, restaurants, distributors and food-service companies nationwide. The FDA said Coast Citrus does not appear to supply jalapeños directly to grocery stores.

Chipotle and QDOBA both received jalapeños imported by Coast Citrus Distributors from Sinaloa. Chipotle switched suppliers for affected stores beginning July 20 and is no longer serving the implicated product. QDOBA stopped using jalapeños at its restaurants on July 28. The FDA said all QDOBA locations had stopped serving the peppers and that it did not consider there to be an ongoing consumer risk from those establishments.

FSIS said some meat and poultry products containing the recalled jalapeños could still be in consumers' refrigerators or freezers. Consumers who purchased products covered by the public health alert are urged not to eat them. They should either throw the products away or return them to the place of purchase. Retailers and food-service businesses should not sell or serve the affected products. The full FSIS product list includes product names, establishment numbers, distribution states and contact information.

Salmonella infection can cause salmonellosis, a bacterial illness that commonly produces diarrhea, fever and abdominal cramps. Symptoms can begin within several hours to several days after consuming contaminated food and typically last four to seven days. Most people recover without treatment. However, severe illness can require hospitalisation. Young children, older adults and people with weakened immune systems are at greater risk of serious infection. Anyone who develops symptoms after consuming potentially contaminated food should contact a healthcare provider.

The CDC has advised consumers not to eat, serve or sell recalled fresh jalapeños from Sinaloa that were distributed by Coast Citrus Distributors. Consumers who froze recalled peppers – or are unsure whether their peppers came from the affected supplier – are advised to discard them. Authorities are also urging businesses to thoroughly clean and sanitise surfaces, containers and other areas that may have come into contact with the peppers to prevent cross-contamination.

FSIS said there have been no confirmed reports of illness specifically linked to the FSIS-regulated meat and poultry products covered by its latest public health alert. However, the agency expects additional downstream products to be identified as the ingredient recall progresses.