A Salmonella Javiana outbreak linked to jalapeños served at Chipotle restaurants in Minnesota has sickened at least 110 people, according to the Minnesota Department of Health. The number of hospitalizations has not been released.
Of 84 patients interviewed by investigators, 75 said they ate at Chipotle between mid-June and mid-July, the health department said. The people who got sick ate at the restaurants between June 14 and July 14, 2026. Cases were identified through whole genome sequencing, which allows investigators to confirm that separate illnesses share a common source.
The outbreak is not limited to one chain. A Minnesota Department of Health spokesperson said other states are participating in the investigation and that evidence indicates customers at other Mexican-style restaurants also fell ill. The department also said the case count is likely to increase, because these infections take time to diagnose.
Federal traceback covers produce beyond jalapeños
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration began investigating multiple ingredients on July 22 in response to a cluster of Salmonella cases identified by state officials and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The FDA posted information on the outbreak that week, linking it to 212 people nationally. We covered that update when the agency added it to the CORE outbreak investigation table.
Minnesota’s health department said federal authorities are conducting a traceback investigation into produce, including but not limited to jalapeños potentially contaminated with Salmonella Javiana. The FDA said it will provide additional information “if and when there is an actionable public health update.”
What Chipotle did
Chipotle said it identified jalapeños from a common lot through its ingredient traceability system and removed them from the restaurants that received them, replacing them with product from different growers. Laurie Schalow, Chipotle’s chief corporate affairs and food safety officer, said in a company statement that the chain acted “upon learning of a potential Salmonella outbreak in the supply chain impacting several food service retailers.”
The Minnesota Department of Health said Chipotle “has fully collaborated on every aspect of this investigation,” and that because the chain pulled the peppers, the department is not concerned about the restaurant going forward. Officials cautioned that the outbreak may still be underway if the contaminated peppers are being served elsewhere.
Salmonella symptoms and who is most at risk
Symptoms of a Salmonella infection usually appear six hours to six days after exposure and can last as long as a week, according to the CDC. They include watery diarrhea, severe stomach cramps, nausea, and fever. 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.
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.
What to do if you got sick
Anyone who ate at a Mexican-style restaurant in Minnesota between mid-June and mid-July and developed these symptoms should see a doctor and ask whether testing for Salmonella is appropriate. A laboratory-confirmed, sequenced infection is what allows health officials to connect an individual illness to an outbreak.
Illnesses should be reported to the Minnesota Department of Health at 1-877-FOOD-ILL (1-877-366-3455), staffed Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Minnesota officials have asked the public directly for help. “Our investigations often start with speaking to persons diagnosed with a foodborne illness that were reported to the health department,” a department spokesperson said. “We’d like to ask the public to please answer our calls. The information they provide is critical to solving outbreaks quickly.”
People who think they were sickened should also keep app order history, receipts, and credit card statements documenting where and when they ate. You can follow our ongoing Salmonella outbreak coverage for updates as this investigation develops.
If you or a family member was seriously sickened in this outbreak, the Salmonella lawyers at Pritzker Hageman can answer your questions in a free consultation. The firm represented Minnesotans in the 2015 Chipotle Salmonella outbreak. You can also read what to do if you got sick after eating at a Minnesota Chipotle or Qdoba.
