SEPTEMBER 11, 2026POSTSCOMMENTS

Home » 2026 Jalapeño Salmonella Outbreak Tracker: Chipotle, Qdoba, Minnesota & Colorado — Cases & What to Do

2026 Jalapeño Salmonella Outbreak Tracker: Chipotle, Qdoba, Minnesota & Colorado — Cases & What to Do

Last updated: August 21, 2026. Figures below are as reported by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and state health departments, and are updated as new information is confirmed.

A fast-growing, multi-state outbreak of Salmonella Javiana has been linked to fresh jalapeño peppers served at Chipotle, Qdoba, and other Mexican-style restaurants. Minnesota and Colorado have been hit hardest — about 110 cases each as of the CDC’s early-August count — and the outbreak now spans 32 states. Federal investigators have traced the peppers to a single grower in Sinaloa, Mexico and a California distributor, Coast Citrus Distributors, and the jalapeños have been recalled. This page is a running tracker of what is known — the case counts, the states affected, the recall, the restaurants involved, and what to do if you or a family member became ill. For our day-to-day reporting, see the recent coverage below.

Where the investigation stands — updated August 21, 2026

  • The source has been identified. The CDC and FDA report that fresh jalapeño peppers grown in Sinaloa, Mexico and distributed by Coast Citrus Distributors are the source of the outbreak. The peppers have been recalled.
  • The recall has now reached grocery stores. On August 8, 2026, Taylor Fresh Foods issued a downstream recall of whole jalapeño peppers and of prepared foods made with them — burritos, bowls, guacamole, sandwiches, salsas, salads, and wraps — carrying “best if used by” dates up to and including August 16, 2026. Those products went to retail distribution centers in 26 states and were sold at national grocery chains, so recalled product may still be in refrigerators at home. Check yours.
  • Whole Foods Market has now recalled prepared foods made with the peppers. On August 12, 2026, the CDC and FDA report, Whole Foods Market recalled foods containing the recalled jalapeños — guacamole, pico de gallo, salsa, and condiments — carrying “best before/by” dates of August 7 through August 16, 2026. They were sold online and in the produce and prepared-foods departments in 12 states: Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Missouri, Ohio, Oklahoma, Texas, and Wisconsin.
  • A further recall covers NatureBest- and H-E-B-brand prepared foods sold in Texas and Louisiana. On August 14, 2026, the FDA reports, NatureBest Precut & Produce LLC recalled NatureBest-brand and H-E-B-brand products made with the recalled jalapeños — soup mix, pico de gallo, stuffed mushrooms, and diced jalapeños — carrying “best before/by” dates up to and including August 15, 2026. The CDC says they were sold in the produce and prepared-foods departments of retail customers in Texas and Louisiana, distributed between July 3 and August 5, 2026.
  • A further recall covers jalapeños repacked for two Texas Costco stores. Dairyland Produce, LLC, doing business as Hardie’s Fresh Foods of Houston and Dallas, Texas, recalled five-pound bags of jalapeño peppers it had repacked. The company announced the recall on August 12, 2026 and the FDA published it on August 17, 2026. The peppers went to two Costco locations — in Stafford, Texas and Dallas, Texas — in clear plastic bags carrying lot codes X2741775, X2741859, X2744163, X2744706, X2746349, X2746490, and X2748743. The company has stopped producing and distributing the product.
  • A salad dressing sold at Texas H-E-B stores was also recalled. Salata Dressings, LLC of Houston, Texas recalled its Salata Jalapeno Avocado Dressing after its supplier reported that the diced jalapeños used in it may have been contaminated. The 12-ounce plastic bottles with black caps carry “best by” dates of November 5, 13, 18, or 25, 2026 and were sold at H-E-B grocery stores in Texas between July 13 and August 5, 2026. The company announced the recall on August 11, 2026 and the FDA published it on August 14, 2026. The company says no illnesses have been reported in connection with this recall.
  • Meat and poultry products are affected too. On August 8, 2026, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) issued a public health alert for meat and poultry products made with the recalled jalapeños. FSIS says it expects more downstream products to be identified as the ingredient recall progresses, and that some product may already be in consumers’ refrigerators or freezers. No illnesses have been confirmed from those products.
  • Chipotle and Qdoba have pulled the peppers. Of 224 people interviewed, 203 (91%) reported eating at a Mexican-style restaurant before getting sick, including Chipotle Mexican Grill and Qdoba. Chipotle switched jalapeño suppliers for the affected stores, and Qdoba stopped serving jalapeños. The CDC and FDA say there is no ongoing risk at those restaurants now that the peppers have been removed.
  • The people who were sickened ate during a window that has already passed. Illnesses began between June 19 and August 2, 2026, with restaurant meals dating from mid-June to mid-July. If you ate jalapeños at a Mexican-style restaurant during that window and got sick, you may be part of this outbreak.
  • The count is expected to keep rising. Salmonella infections take time to diagnose and report, so the CDC says the true number of illnesses is likely higher and the outbreak may reach more states.

The recall: what was pulled, and what to do

Coast Citrus Distributors has recalled the fresh jalapeño peppers grown by a single supplier in Sinaloa, Mexico. The FDA is advising businesses and consumers: do not eat, serve, or sell the recalled jalapeños.

  • Mostly a restaurant and wholesale supply. According to the FDA, Coast Citrus does not appear to supply jalapeños directly to grocery stores — the peppers went to restaurants and wholesale distributors. Chipotle and Qdoba both received product that Coast Citrus imported from Sinaloa.
  • A second, downstream recall did reach grocery stores. Because the Coast Citrus peppers were sold on to other companies, Taylor Fresh Foods recalled multiple products made with them on August 8, 2026 — whole jalapeños as well as burritos, bowls, guacamole, sandwiches, salsas, salads, and wraps with “best if used by” dates up to and including August 16, 2026. The FDA says those products were distributed to retail distribution centers in 26 states: Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, West Virginia, and Wisconsin.
  • Stores that received the recalled products include Albertsons, H-E-B, Hannaford, Kroger, RaceTrac, Randalls, Stop & Shop, Target, Tom Thumb, Trader Joe’s, Walmart, Wawa, and Whole Foods, according to the CDC. Taylor Fresh Foods says it is no longer sourcing from the implicated grower and is filling orders from other suppliers.
  • A third recall reached Whole Foods Market’s own prepared foods. On August 12, 2026, according to the CDC and FDA, Whole Foods Market recalled guacamole, pico de gallo, salsa, and condiments made with the recalled jalapeños, with “best before/by” dates running from August 7 to August 16, 2026. The products were sold online and in the produce and prepared-foods departments in 12 states: Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Missouri, Ohio, Oklahoma, Texas, and Wisconsin.
  • A fourth recall covers NatureBest- and H-E-B-brand prepared foods. On August 14, 2026, according to the FDA, NatureBest Precut & Produce LLC recalled NatureBest-brand and H-E-B-brand products made with the recalled jalapeños — soup mix, pico de gallo, stuffed mushrooms, and diced jalapeños — with “best before/by” dates up to and including August 15, 2026. The CDC says the products went to retail customers in Texas and Louisiana, distributed between July 3 and August 5, 2026, and were sold in produce and prepared-foods departments.
  • A fifth recall covers jalapeños repacked by Hardie’s Fresh Foods and sold at two Costco stores. Dairyland Produce, LLC, doing business as Hardie’s Fresh Foods of Houston and Dallas, Texas, recalled five-pound bags of jalapeño peppers sold in clear plastic bags, carrying lot codes X2741775, X2741859, X2744163, X2744706, X2746349, X2746490, and X2748743. The FDA says they were distributed to two Costco locations, in Stafford, Texas and Dallas, Texas. The company announced the recall on August 12, 2026; the FDA published it on August 17, 2026 and has added it to its outbreak advisory. Consumers who bought them should return them to the store for a refund.
  • A sixth recall covers a salad dressing sold at H-E-B stores in Texas. Salata Dressings, LLC of Houston, Texas recalled its Salata Jalapeno Avocado Dressing, sold in 12-ounce plastic bottles with black caps carrying “best by” dates of November 5, 13, 18, or 25, 2026. The FDA says the dressing was distributed to H-E-B grocery stores in Texas between July 13 and August 5, 2026. The company announced the recall on August 11, 2026 after its supplier notified it that the diced jalapeños it used may have been contaminated; the FDA published the recall on August 14, 2026. The company says no illnesses have been reported in connection with it. Consumers who bought the dressing should return it to the store for a refund.
  • A USDA public health alert covers meat and poultry products. Because the recalled jalapeños were also shipped to federally inspected meat and poultry plants, the USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service issued a public health alert on August 8, 2026 for the meat and poultry products made with them. FSIS has published a product list naming the items, the establishment numbers, and the states they were distributed to, and says additional downstream products are expected to be identified as the recall progresses. Consumers are urged not to eat those products and retailers not to sell or serve them.
  • Restaurants and retailers should check their inventory against the recall and not serve or sell the affected jalapeños.

If you have recalled jalapeños at home: do not eat them. Throw them away (double-bag them so no one else eats them) or return them to the store for a refund, and wash and sanitize anything they touched.

2026 jalapeño Salmonella outbreak, by the numbers

  • 431 people infected with the same strain of Salmonella Javiana, across 32 states.
  • 57 hospitalizations (about 15% of those with information available) and no deaths.
  • Minnesota and Colorado are the epicenters. In the CDC’s last published state-by-state breakdown — its August 4, 2026 count of 345 cases in 27 states — the two states had 110 cases each, together about two-thirds of the cases reported at that point, followed by Illinois (30), Kansas (13), Wisconsin (9), Oklahoma (8), and Missouri (7).
  • Illnesses began on dates ranging from June 19 through August 2, 2026. Patients range in age from under 1 to 85 years.
  • 28 illness clusters have been identified at Chipotle and Qdoba locations in 8 states — groups of people from different households who ate at the same restaurant. The most commonly reported ingredients were jalapeño peppers, red onion, cilantro, and avocado.

Sources: CDC Salmonella Javiana outbreak investigation and FDA outbreak advisory, as of their August 19, 2026 updates. Confirmed counts lag real illness because Salmonella infections take one to several weeks to be diagnosed, sequenced, and linked to an outbreak — so the real number is almost certainly higher.

How one lot of peppers reached so many restaurants

Outbreaks like this one are supply-chain events. A single grower’s contaminated jalapeños can be shipped by one distributor to dozens of restaurants across the country before anyone is diagnosed — which is why illnesses turned up in 32 states from Minnesota to Colorado to the Carolinas at almost the same time.

  • The grower in Sinaloa, Mexico produced the jalapeños investigators identified as the likely source.
  • The distributor, Coast Citrus Distributors, imported the peppers and supplied them to restaurants and wholesalers — including Chipotle and Qdoba.
  • The restaurants served the peppers to customers before the contamination was known.

Naming the grower and distributor does not narrow who may be responsible. Everyone in the chain that grew, imported, distributed, or served the contaminated peppers can carry legal responsibility of their own — and a person who was sickened does not have to prove which link failed to bring a claim. A Salmonella lawyer can work out which companies apply to you from your purchase and medical records.

States with reported cases

The outbreak spans 32 states, and it has been heavily concentrated in Minnesota and Colorado. The most recent state-by-state breakdown the CDC published — its August 4, 2026 count of 345 cases in 27 states — was: Colorado (110), Minnesota (110), Illinois (30), Kansas (13), Wisconsin (9), Oklahoma (8), Missouri (7), Georgia (6), Indiana (6), Wyoming (6), Montana (5), Nebraska (5), South Carolina (5), Michigan (4), North Carolina (3), Tennessee (3), Texas (3), Ohio (2), Virginia (2), and one case each in Alabama, Arkansas, California, Kentucky, Louisiana, North Dakota, Utah, and Washington. Since then the CDC has added 86 more illnesses and five more states — Florida, New Jersey, New Mexico, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia — without publishing an updated state-by-state count. Because Salmonella cases take time to confirm, illnesses can appear in additional states. For the authoritative, continuously updated count, see the CDC’s outbreak page.

Timeline of the 2026 jalapeño Salmonella outbreak

  • June 19 – August 2, 2026 — The window during which people in the outbreak began getting sick; restaurant meals linked to the illnesses date from mid-June to mid-July.
  • July 20, 2026 — Chipotle begins switching jalapeño suppliers for the affected stores.
  • July 22, 2026 — The FDA opens a traceback investigation into produce, including but not limited to jalapeños, after a cluster of Salmonella cases is identified.
  • July 28, 2026 — Qdoba stops using jalapeños in its restaurants.
  • August 4, 2026 — The Minnesota Department of Health confirms 110 people sickened in Minnesota after eating jalapeños at Chipotle, and says other states and other Mexican-style restaurants are involved.
  • August 5, 2026 — The CDC publishes a national outbreak notice: the count jumps to 345 people in 27 states, naming Chipotle and Qdoba, and identifies jalapeños from Sinaloa, Mexico distributed by Coast Citrus Distributors as the source.
  • August 8, 2026 — Taylor Fresh Foods issues a downstream recall of jalapeño peppers and of the prepared foods made with them, sold at grocery chains in 26 states with “best if used by” dates through August 16, 2026. The same day, the USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service issues a public health alert for meat and poultry products made with the recalled jalapeños. The FDA added the Taylor Fresh Foods recall to its outbreak advisory on August 9.
  • August 10, 2026 — The CDC and FDA update the investigation to reflect the retail recall. The case count holds at 345 illnesses in 27 states, with 36 hospitalizations and no deaths.
  • August 11, 2026 — Salata Dressings, LLC of Houston, Texas recalls its Salata Jalapeno Avocado Dressing, sold at H-E-B stores in Texas between July 13 and August 5, 2026, after its supplier reports that the diced jalapeños used in it may have been contaminated. The FDA publishes the recall on August 14, 2026. No illnesses are reported in connection with it.
  • August 12, 2026 — Whole Foods Market recalls prepared foods made with the peppers — guacamole, pico de gallo, salsa, and condiments with “best before/by” dates of August 7 through August 16, 2026, sold online and in the produce and prepared-foods departments in 12 states. The CDC added the recall to its outbreak notice on August 13, and the FDA added it to its own advisory the same day, using the same August 12 recall date. The case count still stood at 345 illnesses in 27 states, with 36 hospitalizations and no deaths.
  • August 14, 2026 — NatureBest Precut & Produce LLC recalls prepared foods made with the peppers — soup mix, pico de gallo, stuffed mushrooms, and diced jalapeños sold under the NatureBest and H-E-B brands, with “best before/by” dates up to and including August 15, 2026, distributed to retail customers in Texas and Louisiana between July 3 and August 5, 2026. The FDA added the recall to its advisory the same day, and the CDC listed it in its outbreak notice on August 14. The case count still stood at 345 illnesses in 27 states, with 36 hospitalizations and no deaths.
  • August 17, 2026 — The FDA publishes a recall by Dairyland Produce, LLC, doing business as Hardie’s Fresh Foods of five-pound bags of jalapeño peppers it had repacked, announced by the company on August 12, 2026 and distributed to two Costco stores in Stafford and Dallas, Texas.
  • August 19, 2026 — The CDC and FDA raise the count to 431 illnesses in 32 states. Hospitalizations rise to 57 (about 15% of the 376 people with information available) and there are still no deaths. Five states are added — Florida, New Jersey, New Mexico, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia — and the most recent illness onset moves to August 2, 2026. Of 224 people interviewed, 203 (91%) reported eating at a Mexican-style restaurant, and 28 illness clusters have now been identified in 8 states.
  • August 20, 2026 — The FDA creates a dedicated Major Product Recalls page listing every recall by companies that repacked the jalapeños or used them as an ingredient. The next day the FDA and the CDC both revise their outbreak pages to point readers to that list rather than describing each recall separately. The case count is unchanged at 431 illnesses in 32 states.

Symptoms & what to do if you think you have Salmonella

Salmonella infection (salmonellosis) usually causes diarrhea, severe stomach cramps, nausea, and fever. Symptoms typically begin six hours to six days after exposure and often last about a week. Most people recover without treatment, but some infections are serious enough to require hospitalization — and the bacteria can spread from the intestines into the bloodstream, which is dangerous. Children under 5, adults 65 and older, and people with weakened immune systems face the highest risk of severe illness.

Warning signs that warrant immediate medical attention include bloody diarrhea, a high fever, prolonged vomiting, and signs of dehydration such as reduced urination, dry mouth, and dizziness when standing.

  1. See a doctor and ask about a stool test for Salmonella. A laboratory-confirmed, whole-genome-sequenced infection is what allows health officials to connect your illness to this outbreak — and it is important documentation if you later have a claim.
  2. Report your illness to your state health department. In Minnesota, call 1-877-FOOD-ILL (1-877-366-3455), staffed Monday–Friday, 8 a.m.–4:30 p.m.; in other states, contact your local health department. Investigators have asked the public directly to answer their calls — the information helps solve the outbreak faster.
  3. Preserve evidence if you may have a claim: keep your positive test result and medical records, restaurant receipts, app and loyalty-account order histories, and credit-card statements showing where and when you ate, and write down everywhere you ate in the week or two before you got sick.
  4. This page is information, not medical or legal advice. Follow the guidance of a licensed medical provider; for the medical details of Salmonella, see the CDC’s Salmonella overview.

Were you or a loved one seriously sickened in the 2026 jalapeño Salmonella outbreak?

Pritzker Hageman is a national food-safety law firm that represents people seriously sickened in foodborne-illness outbreaks like this one. Its Salmonella lawyers are investigating this 2026 jalapeño outbreak linked to Chipotle, Qdoba, and other Mexican-style restaurants, and the firm represented Minnesotans sickened in the 2015 Chipotle Salmonella outbreak. Hundreds of millions recovered. No fee unless we win.

Talk to a Salmonella lawyer — free case review ›

Our latest Salmonella outbreak coverage

Frequently asked questions

Is it safe to eat at Chipotle or Qdoba now?

According to the CDC, yes — there is no ongoing risk at those restaurants now that the contaminated jalapeños have been removed. Chipotle switched jalapeño suppliers for the affected stores and Qdoba stopped serving jalapeños. The concern is for people who already ate the peppers during the exposure window (mid-June to mid-July 2026), not for customers eating there today.

Can I bring a claim if I got sick after eating at Chipotle, Qdoba, or another Mexican restaurant?

Possibly. When a contaminated food is traced to a specific grower and distributor, people who were sickened may have a claim against the companies in the supply chain — the grower, the distributor, and the restaurants that served the peppers. You generally need a laboratory-confirmed Salmonella infection that matches the outbreak strain. A food-safety attorney can review your diagnosis and where you ate, for free, and tell you honestly whether you have a claim worth pursuing.

How do I know if my illness is part of this outbreak?

Only a laboratory can confirm it. If you had diarrhea, cramps, and fever after eating jalapeños at a Mexican-style restaurant between mid-June and mid-July 2026, ask your doctor for a stool test. If it is positive for Salmonella, the state lab can sequence it and compare it to the outbreak strain (Salmonella Javiana). That sequencing is what officially links an individual illness to the outbreak.

What was recalled, exactly?

Fresh jalapeño peppers grown by a single supplier in Sinaloa, Mexico and distributed by Coast Citrus Distributors. The FDA says those peppers went mainly to restaurants and wholesale distributors rather than directly to grocery stores. Separately, on August 8, 2026, Taylor Fresh Foods recalled products it made with those peppers — whole jalapeños plus burritos, bowls, guacamole, sandwiches, salsas, salads, and wraps with “best if used by” dates up to and including August 16, 2026 — which were distributed to retail distribution centers in 26 states and sold at chains including Walmart, Target, Kroger, Whole Foods, Trader Joe’s, Albertsons, and H-E-B. Four further downstream recalls followed. On August 12, 2026, Whole Foods Market recalled guacamole, pico de gallo, salsa, and condiments made with the recalled jalapeños, with “best before/by” dates of August 7 through August 16, 2026, sold online and in the produce and prepared-foods departments in 12 states. On August 14, 2026, NatureBest Precut & Produce LLC recalled NatureBest-brand and H-E-B-brand soup mix, pico de gallo, stuffed mushrooms, and diced jalapeños, with “best before/by” dates up to and including August 15, 2026, sold to retail customers in Texas and Louisiana. Also on August 12, 2026, Dairyland Produce, LLC, doing business as Hardie’s Fresh Foods, recalled five-pound bags of jalapeño peppers it had repacked, sold at two Costco stores in Stafford and Dallas, Texas; the FDA published that recall on August 17, 2026. And on August 11, 2026, Salata Dressings, LLC recalled its Salata Jalapeno Avocado Dressing in 12-ounce bottles, sold at H-E-B stores in Texas between July 13 and August 5, 2026, with “best by” dates of November 5, 13, 18, or 25, 2026; the FDA published that recall on August 14, 2026. Do not eat, serve, or sell the recalled jalapeños or the recalled products made with them.

Does washing or cooking kill Salmonella on peppers?

Thorough cooking to a high temperature kills Salmonella, but jalapeños served raw — as they typically are at these restaurants — are not cooked, and rinsing does not reliably remove the bacteria. That is why an outbreak is traced to a contaminated supply rather than to how the food was handled at home.

How long do I have to take legal action?

Deadlines (statutes of limitation) vary by state and by the facts of your case, so it is best not to wait. A food-safety attorney can review your situation for free and tell you honestly whether you have a claim worth pursuing.

Official sources