53,760 cases of Mexican jalapeño peppers recalled
August 20, 2026
Jalapeño peppers grown in Sinaloa, Mexico, have now been linked to 431 lab-confirmed cases of salmonellosis across 32 US states, according to an update released by the CDC on August 19, 2026.
Fifty-seven people have been hospitalized.
On July 22, 2026, Coast Citrus Distributors recalled 53,760 cases of jalapeño peppers. The peppers were distributed primarily to wholesale distributors in the central and east coast states, according to information released by the FDA on August 18, 2026. The recall covered all product with a pack date of 07/01/2026 through 07/31/2026.
The recall has been classified as a Class I recall, which is defined by the FDA as “…a situation in which there is a reasonable probability that the use of, or exposure to, a violative product will cause serious adverse health consequences or death.”
The recall issued by Coast Citrus triggered a raft of follow-on recalls from multiple supermarket chains, food processors, and distributors. A list of those recalls can be found on the FDA and USDA websites.
The CDC’s timeline of reported illness onset dates for this outbreak stretches from June 19, 2026 through to August 2, 2026. The agency warns that it usually takes 3 to 4 weeks from the time an illness occurs until the time it is confirmed to be part of the outbreak. Therefore, recent illnesses likely are not yet included in the total number of confirmed cases.
Of the 32 states reporting outbreak cases, two states account for more than half (57%) of the illnesses: Minnesota (129 cases) and Colorado (118 cases).
The presence of Colorado near the top of the list of states is both surprising and disturbing for two reasons. First of all, Colorado is not a central state by most definitions. According to the US Census Bureau, Colorado is a western state and Coast Citrus claims to have not distributed any of the recalled peppers to western states. Also, none of the follow-on recalls listed on the FDA or USDA websites list Colorado among the states that received recalled jalapeños.
What has been missed in the traceback and traceforward investigations?
On July 28, 2026, the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment alerted residents of the state to significant increase in the number of reported Salmonella illnesses (more than 250 during the month of July). At the time of the alert, investigators had not confirmed a specific food, restaurant, supplier, or other source for the unusual number of illnesses.
Stay tuned.
Interested in learning more about food safety and the history of foodborne disease outbreaks and investigations?
Click on the link to listen to a short excerpt, then follow the buy links to add a digital, print or audio copy to your personal library.
eFoodAlert 