A food safety scare that began with one contaminant has now widened into another, as the company linked to a recent cyclosporiasis outbreak is voluntarily recalling jalapenos over possible links to a salmonella outbreak. The move expands a public health concern that has already stretched across much of the country and drawn in some of the best-known names in fast food.
The scale of the outbreak is significant. More than 300 people in at least 27 states have been infected, a spread that points to how widely the affected peppers were distributed before the problem was identified. Taylor Farms, the company issuing the recall, says it is unaware of any illnesses specifically linked to their peppers, even as the broader outbreak count continues to climb.
For many of those who fell ill, the common thread ran through popular restaurant chains. Many of the people infected reported eating jalapenos at Chipotle and Qdoba, a link that prompted swift action from both companies. Chipotle and Qdoba have since removed the ingredient from their menus, moving to cut off any further exposure while the investigation continues.
The recall has also reached back along the supply chain to its source. Coast Citrus, a distributor in Mexico, has already recalled the jalapenos, a step that underscores how a single point in the chain of production can ripple outward to restaurants and grocery shelves across dozens of states once contamination is suspected.
Investigators are now widening their focus beyond the peppers themselves. They are eyeing poultry products that could be linked as well, expanding the scope of the inquiry as officials try to map the full reach of the outbreak and identify every product that might carry a risk to consumers.
For now, the picture on those additional products remains incomplete. There have not yet been any illnesses reported from meat and poultry products containing the affected jalapenos, but companies are moving ahead with recalls because of the possibility that they might be contaminated, opting for caution as the investigation into the outbreak presses on.