Officials with Chipotle Mexican Grill announced today that they have removed jalapenos from their restaurants in Minnesota because they are linked to an outbreak of Salmonella infections.
The fast food chain also removed the peppers from locations in other states that received them from the same supplier. The restaurant chain officials said it is now using a different supplier for its jalapenos. The officials did not name the implicated supplier.
The Minnesota Department of Health has confirmed it is investigating an outbreak of Salmonella infections. The department reported that of 110 outbreak patients identified, 84 were interviewed and 75 reported eating at Chipotle between June 14 and July 14.
State officials said the evidence gathered so far suggests the contaminated food item was also served at other Mexican-style restaurants, and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration is leading a traceback investigation to identify the source.
The FDA has not specifically reported that it is investigating an outbreak linked to Chipotle or peppers. However, the agency is reporting an investigation into a Salmonella Javaina outbreak with 212 patients. The agency is not reporting any details except to say that it has begun traceback efforts on an unnamed food. The agency is also investigating an outbreak of Salmonella Oranienburg with 90 patients. It has begun traceback in that investigation, but is not reporting what is being traced.
The Minnesota officials say they are not concerned about further illnesses associated with Chipotle because the restaurant cooperated fully with investigators and acted quickly to remove the suspect vehicle from its restaurants. However, the health department is concerned about other restaurants that it has not named.
"We do expect the case count to increase even if the illnesses occurred a couple of weeks ago, since it takes us a while to detect cases in surveillance," Carlota Medus, senior epidemiologist supervisor in the Minnesota Department of Health Foodborne Diseases Unit, said.
Chipotle restaurants have been of concern because a series of outbreaks from 2015 through 2018 that sickened well over a thousand patrons.
In April 2020 the Justice Department charged Chipotle with two criminal counts of violating federal law by selling food that had been adulterated and was unfit for human consumption. The charges stemmed from outbreaks between 2015 and 2018.
The company admitted that it held food at improper temperatures and kept sick employees on the line. It paid a $25 million criminal fine, the largest ever imposed in a food safety case, and entered a three-year deferred prosecution agreement requiring a comprehensive food safety compliance program built with its Food Safety Council and covering audits, restaurant staffing and employee training. That agreement’s three-year term expired in 2023.
About Salmonella infections
Food contaminated with Salmonella bacteria does not usually look, smell, or taste spoiled. Anyone can become sick with a Salmonella infection. Infants, children, seniors, and people with weakened immune systems are at higher risk of serious illness because their immune systems are fragile.
Anyone who has developed symptoms of Salmonella infection should seek medical attention. Sick people should tell their doctors about the possible exposure to Salmonella bacteria because special tests are necessary to diagnose salmonellosis. Salmonella infection symptoms can mimic other illnesses, frequently leading to misdiagnosis.
Symptoms of Salmonella infection can include diarrhea, abdominal cramps, and fever within 12 to 72 hours after eating contaminated food. Otherwise, healthy adults are usually sick for four to seven days. In some cases, however, diarrhea may be so severe that patients require hospitalization.
Older adults, children, pregnant women, and people with weakened immune systems, such as cancer patients, are more likely to develop a severe illness and serious, sometimes life-threatening conditions.
Some people get infected without getting sick or showing any symptoms. However, they may still spread the infections to others.
