Jalapeños Linked to Salmonella Outbreak Traced Back to Farm in Mexico

Drew Dixon

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Jalapeño peppers linked to more than 1,200 illnesses have been traced back to a farm in Mexico. According to the Food and Drug Administration, consumers should avoid raw jalapeno peppers from Mexico. However, FDA is advising consumers that jalapeño and serrano peppers grown in the United States are not connected with the current Salmonella St. Paul outbreak and consumers may feel free to eat them without concern of contamination.

Mexico has continued to deny the claims made by FDA officials, saying that the officials lacked scientific evidence to confirm the contamination. The Mexican Agriculture Minister urged officials to wait to make their public announcements until the investigations of jalapeños are finished in both countries.

The Salmonella has spread to more than 1,294 people in 43 states, the District of Columbia and Canada since mid-April, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta. At least 242 people have been hospitalized.

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