MINNEAPOLIS—Chipotle Mexican Grill has removed jalapeño peppers from restaurants that received potentially affected supplies as U.S. health authorities investigate a multistate Salmonella outbreak linked to fresh jalapeños, according to the company and public health officials.
Chipotle said it proactively removed the peppers after learning of a potential Salmonella outbreak involving its supply chain and replaced them with jalapeños from different growers. The company said it was cooperating with state and federal investigators.
The move came as investigators expanded their inquiry beyond Minnesota. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said the outbreak had sickened 345 people in 27 states, with 36 hospitalizations and no reported deaths. Health authorities have linked the outbreak to fresh jalapeños grown in Sinaloa, Mexico, and distributed by Coast Citrus Distributors.
Minnesota was among the states at the center of the initial investigation. State health officials found that many people who became ill had eaten at Mexican-style restaurants during the period when the contaminated peppers were believed to have been served. Investigators have said the evidence indicates that the jalapeños may have been distributed to multiple restaurant chains, rather than being confined to Chipotle.
Of 84 Minnesota patients interviewed during the early investigation, 75 reported eating at a Chipotle restaurant before becoming ill, according to reports citing state health officials. That epidemiological finding did not by itself establish that Chipotle was the source of the outbreak, as some patients also reported eating at other restaurants.
The outbreak involves Salmonella Javiana, a strain of Salmonella bacteria that can cause diarrhea, fever and abdominal cramps. The CDC is continuing to work with state and local health departments to determine the full distribution of the contaminated peppers and identify all affected products and establishments.
The developments have also affected Chipotle financially. Shares of the company declined sharply after news of the jalapeño investigation emerged, although the stock-market reaction does not establish any finding about the company’s food-safety practices.
Separately, Taylor Farms has recalled a range of prepared foods containing jalapeños over potential Salmonella contamination following the broader investigation. The FDA and CDC have said the investigation remains active.
