Jalapeño Recalls Keep Growing As Salmonella Outbreak Investigation Continues

Key TakeawaysWhole Foods Market and NatureBest have recalled salsa, guacamole and other foods made with recalled jalapeñosFresh jalapeños grown in Sinaloa, Mexico, and imported by Coast Citrus Distributors are the outbreak sourceAs of Aug. 5, 345 people in 27 states were sick, and 36 were hospitalized.MONDAY, Aug. 17, 2026 (HealthDay News) — The list of foods pulled from store shelves because they contain Salmonella-linked jalapeño peppers keeps getting longer.Two more companies announced recalls in the past week, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said in an advisory updated Aug. 14.NatureBest Precut & Produce LLC recalled NatureBest-brand and HEB-brand soup mix, pico de gallo, stuffed mushrooms and diced jalapeños. Those items went to stores in Texas and Louisiana between July 3 and Aug. 5, the FDA said.Two days earlier, Whole Foods Market recalled guacamole, pico de gallo, salsa and prepared foods sold online and in produce and prepared foods departments in 12 states. Shoppers with a valid receipt can return those products to any store for a full refund.Both recalls follow one announced Aug. 9 by Taylor Fresh Foods.The contamination traces back to fresh jalapeños grown in Sinaloa, Mexico, imported by Coast Citrus Distributors. Investigators pinpointed a single grower after interviewing sick people and tracing shipments backward through the supply chain.Stores that received the recalled foods include Albertsons, H-E-B, Hannaford, Kroger, RaceTrac, Randalls, Stop and Shop, Target, Tom Thumb, Trader Joe's, Walmart, Wawa and Whole Foods, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Dozens of individual products are affected, and shoppers can find the full list on the FDA's advisory page.The U.S. Department of Agriculture has issued a separate alert for meat and poultry products made with the same peppers.In all, 345 people across 27 states had been infected as of Aug. 5, and 36 had been hospitalized, the CDC said. No deaths have been reported. Most of the early cases were traced to Mexican-style restaurants, including Chipotle Mexican Grill and QDOBA. Both chains stopped serving the peppers in late July, and federal officials say neither poses an ongoing risk to consumers.Salmonella usually causes diarrhea, fever and stomach cramps six hours to six days after a person swallows the bacteria, the CDC said. Most people get better on their own in four to seven days.Children younger than 5, adults 65 and older and people with weakened immune systems are more likely to become seriously ill.Anyone who has the recalled foods at home should throw them out or return them, then wash any surfaces or containers they touched with hot, soapy water.Call a doctor for bloody diarrhea, a fever above 102 degrees, diarrhea lasting more than three days without improving, vomiting that makes it impossible to keep liquids down, or signs of dehydration such as dizziness, dry mouth or urinating very little.More informationVisit the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for more information about Salmonella infection.SOURCES: U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Aug. 14, 2026; U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Aug. 14, 2026.What This Means For YouConsumers should check their refrigerator for any jalapeño-containing products bought since early July, and throw out anything on the recall list..Sign up for our weekly HealthDay newsletter

Jalapeño Recalls Keep Growing As Salmonella Outbreak Investigation Continues

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