Salmonella strain traced to jalapeño at Texas facility

WASHINGTON – Federal officials investigating a three-month-old salmonella outbreak have isolated the bacteria in a jalapeño pepper from a small distribution facility in McAllen, Texas. On Monday, they warned consumers nationwide to avoid eating raw jalapeños or products that contain them until more is known. Investigators found the contaminated jalapeño at Agricola Zaragosa in McAllen, after tracing back jalapeños eaten by restaurant patrons who got sick. The company has stopped distributing jalapeños and is recalling peppers sold since June 30 to customers in Georgia and Texas. The tainted pepper was grown in Mexico, but investigators don’t know where the contamination occurred. “All we know is a pepper in this facility is positive with this strain. We don’t know if it became contaminated in this distribution facility or at... [read full story]