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Jalapeno Salmonella outbreak: recalls and case count
A Salmonella Javiana outbreak traced to fresh jalapenos from Sinaloa has made 431 people ill across 32 states. The recalls it has set off, the products to check and what the symptoms look like.
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The Food and Drug Administration is investigating an outbreak of Salmonella Javiana traced to fresh jalapeno peppers. As of the agency's most recent update, 431 people have fallen ill across 32 states, 57 have been admitted to hospital and nobody has died. The most recent illness began on August 2, 2026. The investigation is still open, which means the case count is a floor rather than a total: Salmonella infections take two to four weeks to be confirmed and reported, so people who fell ill in the last fortnight are not yet counted.
FDA traced the peppers to a single grower in Sinaloa, Mexico supplying Coast Citrus Distributors, which sold them on to wholesalers and restaurants. On the agency's recommendation Coast Citrus recalled the peppers, and because fresh jalapenos go into things rather than being sold whole, the recall has spread outward through everything made with them. Five companies have recalled finished products so far, and the Food Safety and Inspection Service has issued a separate public health alert for meat and poultry products containing the same peppers.
That is what makes this outbreak awkward for shoppers. Almost nothing on the recall list says jalapeno on the front. It is salsa, guacamole, pico de gallo, dips and a salad dressing, sold under supermarket own-brands including Trader Joe's, Whole Foods Market, HEB, Freshness Guaranteed and Marketside. The table below is every recall FDA has tied to this outbreak, with the date, the brands and the company behind it.
Salmonella makes people ill 12 to 72 hours after they eat contaminated food, and the illness usually runs four to seven days. The symptoms are diarrhoea, fever and stomach cramps. Children under five, adults over 65 and anyone with a weakened immune system are the most likely to become seriously ill, and a hospitalisation rate of 13 percent in this outbreak is high enough to take seriously. What to do when your food is recalled covers the refund and the kitchen clean-up, and the live recall index carries the newest recalls across all four federal agencies.
Swipe sideways to see every column.
| Announced | Brands | Products | Recalling company | Notice |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| August 12, 2026 | Whole Foods Market | Finished products such as dips, salsa and guacamole | Whole Foods Market | fda.gov |
| August 12, 2026 | Dairyland Produce | Pepper Jalapeno 5 lb | Dairyland Produce LLC | fda.gov |
| August 11, 2026 | Salata | Jalapeno Avocado Dressing | Salata Dressings | fda.gov |
| August 9, 2026 | Trader Joe’s, Freshness Guaranteed, Marketside | Finished products such as dips, salsa and guacamole | Taylor Fresh Foods | fda.gov |
| August 8, 2026 | NatureBest, HEB | Finished products such as pico de gallo | NatureBest Precut & Produce LLC | fda.gov |
| August 8, 2026 | Various | Meat and poultry products containing the recalled jalapenos, under a public health alert rather than a recall | Food Safety and Inspection Service | fsis.usda.gov |
What to do
- Check the fridge for supermarket salsa, guacamole, pico de gallo, dips and salad dressing from the brands in the table. Fresh jalapenos are an ingredient, so the front of the pack rarely names them. Official link
- Do not eat, sell or serve recalled products. FDA asks retailers and restaurants to pull them as well as consumers. Official link
- Contact a doctor if you have diarrhoea, fever and stomach cramps that began 12 to 72 hours after eating, particularly for a child under five or an adult over 65.
- Wash surfaces and containers the product touched. Salmonella survives on a chopping board and in a fridge drawer. Official link
Questions readers ask
- Which jalapeno products are recalled?
- Six recalls have been tied to this outbreak. Whole Foods Market dips, salsa and guacamole; Dairyland Produce 5 lb jalapenos; Salata Jalapeno Avocado Dressing; Taylor Fresh Foods products sold as Trader Joe’s, Freshness Guaranteed and Marketside; NatureBest and HEB pico de gallo; and a Food Safety and Inspection Service alert covering meat and poultry made with the same peppers. The table above carries the dates and the recalling company for each.
- How many people are ill?
- 431 people across 32 states, with 57 admitted to hospital and no deaths, as of the FDA advisory current on August 21, 2026. The most recent illness began on August 2. The figure will rise: a Salmonella case takes two to four weeks to be confirmed and reported, so recent illnesses are not yet in the count.
- Which states have cases?
- Alabama, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin and Wyoming.
- How did jalapenos cause this?
- FDA traced where ill people had eaten and found a common grower in Sinaloa, Mexico supplying Coast Citrus Distributors, which sold the peppers to wholesalers and restaurants. FDA recommended a recall. Because fresh jalapenos are an ingredient rather than a finished product, the contamination reached shoppers inside salsa, guacamole and dips made by other companies.
- What are the symptoms and how long do they take?
- Illness usually begins 12 to 72 hours after eating contaminated food and lasts four to seven days: diarrhoea, fever and abdominal cramps. Children under five, older adults and people with weakened immune systems are more likely to become seriously ill. In this outbreak about one case in eight has led to a hospital admission.
Background: What to do when your food is recalled
Mentioned:Food and Drug Administration
How we reported this
Built from the documents in the Source Card. Opened on September 9, 2026 with the FDA outbreak advisory and the recall roundup.
Written by Mirza Seraj Baig · Checked against the documents in the source card (editorial standards).
Updates
- Opened on September 9, 2026 with the FDA outbreak advisory current as of August 21 and the recall roundup current as of August 20, plus the FSIS public health alert of August 8.