Salmonella Outbreak Linked to Jalapeño Peppers from Chipotle and Qdoba

A Salmonella outbreak linked to jalapeño peppers has sickened hundreds of people in at least 27 U.S. states, according to an Aug. 6 food-safety alert released by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).The CDC identified jalapeño peppers grown in Sinaloa, Mexico, and distributed by Coast Citrus Distributors as the source of the outbreak. The peppers were served at restaurants including Chipotle and Qdoba, the CDC said. At least 345 people have been sickened in the outbreak to date, and 36 people have been hospitalized. Minnesota and Colorado have been especially hard-hit, reporting at least 110 cases each. A woman in Minnesota has sued Chipotle claiming that the restaurant allegedly served her contaminated jalapeño peppers. Kristen Behne says she developed a 102°F fever and was hospitalized with sepsis after eating a chicken burrito bowl at a Chipotle restaurant in Roseville, Minn., in late June, CBS News reported.Chipotle said in an Aug. 5 statement that it had removed jalapeños supplied by Coast Citrus Distributors from its restaurants across the country “and replaced them with product from different growers.” Qdoba said it had removed all jalapeños from its res...