Whole Foods pulls jalapeño items linked to salmonella from stores across multiple states

The FDA has identified jalapeño peppers from Coast Citrus Distributors in Mexico as a likely source of salmonella infections that have been reported in at least 27 U.S. states. In response, Whole Foods is recalling a range of prepared foods—including salsas, guacamole, pico de gallo and other items—bearing best-before dates between early and mid-August. These products, sold in the chain's Produce and Prepared Foods departments, were distributed to stores in Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana, Arkansas, Wisconsin, Michigan, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Missouri, Kentucky and Ohio.

The agency notes that no cases have been linked to the recalled Whole Foods items, and it considers the risk to consumers to be mitigated. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention had earlier connected salmonella clusters to jalapeños grown in Sinaloa, Mexico. Whole Foods, owned by Amazon, emphasized customer safety and advised shoppers to throw away any purchased products and seek refunds. Other retailers such as Hannaford, Kroger, Stop and Shop, Target, Trader Joe's and Walmart have also recalled related items from Taylor Farms, another distributor under investigation.