FDA Investigation Turns Up Contaminated Pepper Grown in Mexico, Processed in Texas
A fresh jalapeño pepper grown in Mexico and processed in Texas has tested positive for the strain of salmonella that has sickened more than 1,200 people in recent months, food safety and health officials said today.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration's associate commissioner for foods, David Acheson, said there has been a "significant break in the salmonella investigation," stressing, however, that the probe is ongoing.
As a result of the finding, the FDA is asking people nationwide to avoid eating fresh jalapeño peppers, serrano peppers and foods made with fresh jalapeño peppers. Pickled and preserved jalapeños are still safe to eat.
The pepper that tested positive was obtained at a produce distribution center called Agricola Zaragosa, in McAllen,Texas, officials said. That distribution center has since recalled all peppers that passed through its plant. All the other samples that have since been taken at that facility have tested negative for the outbreak, the FDA said.
