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Aliss Higham

By Aliss Higham

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An ongoing multistate outbreak of salmonella linked to jalapeños distributed to restaurants, including Chipotle and Qdoba, has sickened 345 people across 27 states, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said.

The CDC said the jalapeños were grown in Sinaloa, Mexico, and distributed by California-based Coast Citrus Distributors to restaurants, wholesalers and food-service companies.

Chipotle confirmed on Tuesday it had removed jalapeños from its menu "out of an abundance of caution." Qdoba followed on Wednesday, saying it had "proactively removed jalapeños from all our restaurants." Coast Citrus Distributors has also agreed to recall the affected peppers. Newsweek has contacted Chipotle and Qdoba for comment via email outside of regular working hours.

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It comes as a separate major outbreak of cyclospora linked to iceberg lettuce continues to impact numerous states across the country, with thousands sickened and hundreds hospitalized.

Which States Are Impacted?

According to the CDC, infections associated with the Salmonella outbreak have been identified in:

Stock image/file photo: Cut jalapeño peppers.

...

States With Most Cases

Colorado and Minnesota have recorded the highest number of cases, with 110 infections each. Illinois has reported 30 cases, while Kansas has reported 13. Each of the remaining states has recorded fewer than 10 infections.

Across all states, at least 36 people have been hospitalized, though no deaths have been reported.

The Minnesota Department of Health confirmed it had identified 110 cases associated with the outbreak. Among 84 people interviewed, 75 reported eating at Chipotle between June 14 and July 14, the department said.

State officials said they did not believe there was an ongoing risk at Chipotle, but warned that additional cases could emerge if the contaminated ingredient had also been distributed to other restaurants.

Carlota Medus, senior epidemiologist supervisor in the Minnesota Department of Health Foodborne Diseases Unit, said: "We do expect the case count to increase even if the illnesses occurred a couple of weeks ago, since it takes us a while to detect cases in surveillance."

The CDC has said the number of cases is likely higher and more widespread than currently reported "because many people recover without medical care and are not tested for Salmonella."

The federal agency added: "Recent illnesses may not yet be reported as it usually takes 3 to 4 weeks to determine if a sick person is part of an outbreak."

No Ongoing Risk

According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), neither restaurant chain is considered to pose an ongoing outbreak risk because the affected jalapeños are no longer being served.

In a statement issued on Tuesday, Chipotle confirmed it was aware of the outbreak and that health officials were investigating "the source of a Salmonella outbreak in the supply chain impacting several food service retailers."

The health and safety of the company's guests and employees was its highest priority, said Chipotle.

"The recalled jalapeño peppers are no longer in Chipotle restaurants and given these actions, the CDC and FDA have said they do not consider there to be a current ongoing risk from Chipotle restaurants in this outbreak," it said.

Qdoba said it had removed jalapeños from all its restaurants "out of an abundance of caution."

"We take any report involving guest health seriously and are committed to responding appropriately based on the facts and guidance from public health authorities," said a company statement. "Food safety is our highest priority. We maintain rigorous food safety standards and work closely with our suppliers, distribution partners, and restaurant teams to help ensure the safety and quality of the food we serve."

What Is Salmonella?

Salmonella is a type of bacteria that can cause an illness known as salmonellosis, most commonly after a person eats contaminated food.

Symptoms generally begin between six hours and six days after infection and usually last four to seven days.

Common symptoms include:

Most healthy people recover within four to seven days without specific treatment, though vulnerable groups, such as older adults, young children and people with weakened immune systems, face a greater risk of severe illness.

Those who have dined at restaurants that received the affected peppers and subsequently become ill are urged to seek medical attention, the FDA has said.

Cyclospora Outbreak

The salmonella outbreak is separate from a widespread outbreak of cyclospora that has sickened thousands of people across the country in recent weeks.

The CDC continues to investigate cases of the illness, which have been linked to iceberg lettuce sourced from central Mexico and distributed by Taylor Farms de Mexico last month.

The outbreak has now been associated with 6,358 illnesses across 15 states, including at least 278 hospitalizations and two deaths, according to the CDC.

Cyclosporiasis can be contracted by consuming food or water contaminated with feces. It is commonly linked to raw fruits and vegetables and can cause diarrhea, nausea and other gastrointestinal symptoms.

Contact Newsweek editors on this story: Ben Kelly and Mike Hirst.

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