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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 6, 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, with about 110 cases each, and the outbreak now spans 27 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 6, 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.
  • Chipotle and Qdoba have pulled the peppers. Of 191 people interviewed, 177 (93%) 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 says 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 July 20, 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.
  • The FDA is still checking retail. The agency is working to determine whether any of the recalled jalapeños reached grocery stores, and will update its advisory as it learns more.
  • 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

  • 345 people infected with the same strain of Salmonella Javiana, across 27 states.
  • 36 hospitalizations (about 12% of those with information available) and no deaths.
  • Minnesota (110) and Colorado (110) are the epicenters, together accounting for roughly two-thirds of all cases. The next most-affected states are Illinois (30), Kansas (13), Wisconsin (9), Oklahoma (8), and Missouri (7).
  • Illnesses began on dates ranging from June 19 through July 20, 2026. Patients range in age from under 1 to 85 years.
  • 27 illness clusters have been identified at Chipotle and Qdoba locations — 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 the CDC’s August 4, 2026 case count. 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 27 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 27 states, but it is heavily concentrated in Minnesota and Colorado, which each reported about 110 cases. Reported case counts by state: 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. 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 – July 20, 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.

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, and is still checking whether any reached retail. Do not eat, serve, or sell the recalled jalapeños.

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