Whole Foods recalls some jalapeño products over salmonella risk

Whole Foods has joined other big brands in recalling jalapeño products after a pepper supplier in Mexico was identified as a potential source of a salmonella outbreak affecting at least 27 U.S. states.

Certain salsas, guacamole, pico de gallo and prepared food products at Whole Foods with the “Best Before” or “Best By” dates between Aug. 7 and Aug. 12 and Aug. 9 and Aug. 14 were included in the list of affected products on Wednesday, according to the Food and Drug Administration.

The recalled products are from Whole Foods’ Produce and Prepared Foods departments and they included jalapeños sourced from Coast Citrus Distributors, the FDA said. They were sold in Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana, Arkansas, Wisconsin, Michigan, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Missouri, Kentucky and Ohio.

A full list of recalled products can be found on the FDA’s website. No illnesses have been reported in connection with these products.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention began identifying clusters of salmonella cases last month and linked them to jalapeño peppers grown in Sinaloa, Mexico.

The FDA said Coast Citrus Distributors agreed to recall the affected peppers, and Chipotle, Qdoba and Taylor Farms — the distributor under investigation over a recent cyclospora outbreak — followed suit. Stores that received Taylor Farms’ Taylor Fresh Foods recalled products include Hannaford, Kroger, Stop and Shop, Target, Trader Joe’s, Walmart and Whole Foods.

“Given their actions to remove product from their stores, FDA does not consider there to be a current ongoing risk from these establishments to consumers in this outbreak,” the FDA said.

Salmonella can cause diarrhea, fever and stomach cramps within eight to 72 hours after exposure, according to the Mayo Clinic, which said most healthy people recover within days to a week without treatment.

“Nothing matters more to us than our customers’ safety,” a Whole Foods spokesperson told CBS News on Monday after the Amazon-owned store said it pulled Taylor Farms’ products from its shelves. “Customers who purchased any of these products from us should throw them away and contact us for a refund.”