US regulators linked 345 salmonella cases in 27 states to jalapeños grown in Sinaloa, Mexico, on August 5. A distributor recalled the peppers after Chipotle Mexican Grill and QDOBA removed affected supplies from their restaurants.

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) reported 36 hospitalizations and no deaths, with illnesses beginning between June 19 and July 20. The agency said the investigation remained active.

Interviews pointed to Mexican-style restaurants

Investigators interviewed 191 people who became ill. Of that group, 177, or 93 percent, reported eating at a Mexican-style restaurant before becoming sick, including Chipotle and QDOBA. Their meals took place from June 14 through July 14.

Minnesota provided the first detailed public account of the cluster. The Associated Press reported on August 4 that the Minnesota Department of Health had identified 110 cases and suspected jalapeños served at several Mexican-style quick-service restaurants. That evidence pointed beyond a single restaurant brand.

Traceback led to a grower in Sinaloa

Fresh ingredients and cooking equipment in a restaurant kitchen (illustrative image)

The FDA traced the peppers to an unnamed grower in Sinaloa and to Coast Citrus Distributors in the United States. The distributor agreed to recall the remaining implicated product, began contacting customers and stopped importing from the grower.

The federal advisory said the peppers went mainly to wholesalers, restaurants and food-service companies across the United States. Regulators were still mapping the full distribution and determining whether any affected peppers had reached grocery stores.

Chipotle and QDOBA changed supplies

Chipotle began switching its jalapeño supplier at affected restaurants on July 20. QDOBA stopped using the peppers on July 28 and removed jalapeños from all of its restaurants.

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said Chipotle and QDOBA were not considered an ongoing risk in this outbreak after removing the affected product. The finding applies to the implicated supply and does not close the broader investigation.

The federal update replaced an incomplete early count

Early reports presented separate state totals before federal agencies published a nationwide update. The August 5 FDA advisory provided a single multistate count of 345 cases across 27 states, superseding the initial snapshot.

The count remains provisional. Reporting delays, laboratory confirmation and decisions about whether individual illnesses belong to the outbreak can change totals during a multistate investigation.

Frequently asked questions

How many cases were linked to the jalapeño outbreak?
The FDA reported 345 illnesses across 27 US states as of August 5, 2026. The total included 36 hospitalizations and no reported deaths.

Where did the peppers come from?
Federal investigators traced them to a common grower in Sinaloa, Mexico, and Coast Citrus Distributors in the United States. The FDA did not name the grower.

Why were Chipotle and QDOBA named?
Both chains received peppers from the implicated distribution channel. Chipotle changed suppliers at affected restaurants, while QDOBA stopped serving jalapeños at all locations.

Was the outbreak limited to those two chains?
No. Interview data covered several Mexican-style restaurants, and the recalled peppers were distributed to multiple wholesalers and food-service businesses.