If salsa, guacamole or pico de gallo is a regular part of your grocery cart, it may be time to take a closer look at the label.
A multistate Salmonella outbreak linked to fresh jalapeño peppers has triggered a growing list of recalls involving some of America’s favorite spicy foods. The recalled peppers have made their way into everything from fresh salsa and guacamole to taco dips, prepared meals and other ready-to-eat foods.
According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the outbreak has been linked to fresh jalapeños from Sinaloa, Mexico, distributed by Coast Citrus Distributors.
As of the FDA’s August 14 update, 345 people in 27 states have become sick and 36 have been hospitalized. No deaths have been reported.
And because jalapeños are often chopped up and mixed into foods rather than eaten alone, you may have eaten one of the affected peppers without ever realizing it.
The recall has expanded well beyond whole jalapeño peppers.
Products containing the affected peppers have included:
The FDA says products made with the recalled jalapeños have been distributed through retailers including H-E-B, Kroger, Stop & Shop, Target, Trader Joe’s, Walmart, Whole Foods Market and Hannaford, among others.
Whole Foods Market, for example, recalled select salsa, guacamole, pico de gallo, dips and other prepared foods containing jalapeños because of potential Salmonella contamination.
This doesn’t mean every container of salsa or guacamole at these stores is dangerous. The recalls apply to specific products, dates and suppliers.
Because the contaminated jalapeños were used as ingredients in other products, the recall has spread far beyond the peppers themselves. According to the FDA, recalled jalapeños and products containing them have reached grocery stores, restaurants, wholesalers, manufacturers and food-service companies.
The FDA has identified the following major grocery chains as having received products containing recalled jalapeños:
This does not mean every product containing jalapeños at these stores is recalled. The recall involves specific products, suppliers, lot codes and date ranges.
Products made by Taylor Fresh Foods containing the recalled jalapeños were distributed to retail distribution centers in 26 states:
Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Mississippi, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, Wisconsin and West Virginia.
These products included dips, salsa, guacamole and other foods sold under several brands and through multiple retailers. The affected Taylor Fresh Foods products had “Best If Used By” dates up to and including August 16, 2026.
Whole Foods Market separately recalled select salsa, guacamole, pico de gallo and prepared foods containing jalapeños. The affected products were sold online and in Produce and Prepared Foods departments in:
Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Missouri, Ohio, Oklahoma, Texas and Wisconsin.
The affected Whole Foods products have Best Before/Best By dates ranging from August 7 through August 16, 2026.
NatureBest Precut & Produce also recalled several NatureBest and H-E-B products containing the affected jalapeños.
These products were distributed to retail customers in:
Texas and Louisiana
The products include:
The products were distributed between July 3 and August 5, 2026, with specific use-by dates varying by product.
The FDA investigation also found that Chipotle and QDOBA received jalapeños imported by Coast Citrus Distributors.
However, the FDA says consumers should not consider either restaurant chain an ongoing risk from this outbreak.
Chipotle began switching suppliers at affected locations on July 20, while QDOBA stopped using the affected jalapeños on July 28. The FDA says the affected products are no longer being served at those restaurants.
A contaminated jalapeño isn’t necessarily eaten whole.
One pepper can be chopped and distributed throughout a large batch of salsa, pico de gallo, guacamole or another prepared food. Because many of these foods are eaten raw, there may also be no cooking step that could reduce the presence of harmful bacteria.
That’s one reason a recall involving a relatively simple ingredient can quickly spread to dozens of finished products.
The current outbreak also illustrates just how complicated our food supply can be. Jalapeños from one grower can travel through a distributor before being shipped to restaurants, food manufacturers and grocery suppliers that use them in many different recipes.
The size of this recall matters in part because jalapeño-containing foods are extremely common in American diets.
Consider salsa. In a large CDC/NHANES food-frequency survey, only about 30 percent of respondents reported never eating salsa, meaning roughly seven in 10 reported eating it at least occasionally. Some participants reported eating salsa several times a week or even every day.
Jalapeños themselves are also a popular topping. In one national survey of U.S. adults about typical nacho toppings, 34 percent selected jalapeños, while 54 percent chose salsa and 41 percent chose guacamole.
Then there’s guacamole.
Recent national dietary data analyzed from NHANES found that 5.8 percent of Americans reported consuming some form of avocado on the surveyed day. Among avocado consumers, about 24 percent ate guacamole, consuming an average of approximately 65 grams — a little over 2 ounces — that day. Another 10 percent consumed guacamole with tomatoes.
The numbers help explain why contamination of a common ingredient like jalapeños can potentially affect so many different foods and consumers.
Anyone can develop Salmonella after eating contaminated food, but some people have a greater chance of developing a severe infection.
The groups that should be particularly cautious include:
Children younger than 5. Their developing immune systems can make it more difficult to fight serious foodborne infections.
Adults 65 and older. Older adults may have weaker immune responses and are more likely to experience complications from foodborne illness.
People with weakened immune systems. This can include people whose immune systems are weakened by certain diseases or medications.
The FDA specifically warns that young children, older or frail adults and people with weakened immune systems are more likely to experience severe Salmonella infections.
For these groups, what begins as diarrhea and stomach cramps can potentially become a much more serious medical problem.
Salmonella symptoms commonly include:
According to the FDA, illness typically develops 12 to 72 hours after eating contaminated food, and symptoms generally last about four to seven days.
Most healthy people recover without specific treatment, but severe illness can occur.
In rare cases, Salmonella can move beyond the intestines and enter the bloodstream. That can lead to more serious conditions, including infections involving the arteries, heart or joints.
First, don’t assume every spicy dip in your refrigerator needs to go into the trash.
Check the FDA’s current recall information to determine whether the product, brand, package size and use-by or best-by date match a recalled product.
The FDA advises consumers not to eat recalled products. They should be discarded or returned to the place of purchase when appropriate.
If recalled jalapeños or foods containing them have been in your refrigerator, don’t stop at throwing away the container.
Clean and sanitize surfaces and containers that may have come into contact with the product. That includes cutting boards, refrigerator shelves, knives, countertops and storage containers.
Cross-contamination matters because Salmonella can potentially move from contaminated food to surfaces and then onto other foods.
Don’t panic.
Eating a recalled product does not automatically mean you will become sick.
Instead, pay attention to how you’re feeling over the next several days. If you develop diarrhea, fever, significant abdominal cramping, vomiting or other concerning symptoms after eating a recalled jalapeño product, contact your healthcare provider.
People at higher risk for serious illness should be especially cautious about waiting for symptoms to become severe.
If you recently purchased fresh salsa, pico de gallo, guacamole or another prepared food containing jalapeños from one of the affected retailers, check the brand, UPC or PLU code and use-by/best-by date against the FDA’s recall list.
Don’t rely on appearance or smell. Food contaminated with Salmonella may look, smell and taste completely normal.
And don’t simply pick the jalapeño pieces out of salsa or another recalled product. If the product is included in the recall, the entire product should be discarded or returned according to the retailer’s instructions.
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