WASHINGTON, DC — Federal food safety agencies are dealing with several active recalls and outbreak investigations at once, and the cluster has put renewed attention on how contamination can move through the U.S. food supply. Officials say the number of alerts may look unusually high, but there is no single official count showing a record level of recalls this month.
The biggest investigation now centers on fresh jalapeños imported from Sinaloa, Mexico and distributed by Coast Citrus Distributors. As of August 21, the FDA and CDC said 431 people in 32 states had been infected with Salmonella Javiana, 57 were hospitalized and no deaths had been reported.
Jalapeño Recall Spreads
The jalapeño investigation has widened because one contaminated ingredient can trigger recalls for many finished foods. After the original pepper recall, other companies began pulling products made with the same peppers, including prepared foods, salsa, guacamole and pico de gallo.
The USDA also issued a public health alert for certain meat and poultry products that contained the FDA-regulated jalapeños. The FDA said illnesses in this outbreak began between June 19 and August 2, and 91% of interviewed patients reported eating at a Mexican-style restaurant before getting sick.
Other Active Cases
The jalapeños are not the only item now under scrutiny. On August 3, Boticelli Foods recalled one lot of Bettergoods Pistachio Nut Butter sold through Walmart after testing by the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services found Salmonella in three jars during a routine inspection. No illnesses had been reported in connection with that product at the time of the recall.
Publix also recalled all lots of GreenWise Organic Frozen Whole Blueberries and Whole Mixed Berries because they could be contaminated with E. coli O145:H28. The FDA said that outbreak had led to 12 illnesses and four hospitalizations in Florida and Georgia, while an alfalfa sprout investigation had sickened 55 people in 15 states and caused four hospitalizations.
What Agencies Say
Food safety officials say these cases can be hard to track because no single federal agency handles every part of the process. The CDC works with state and local health departments, while the FDA and USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service can help with traceback work, inspections and recall requests.
That system means one contamination problem can create a chain of recalls across different brands and product types. The FDA said its jalapeño investigation remains open and that more products could be added to the recall list. Consumers can check the FDA, CDC and USDA websites for current recall notices and outbreak updates.
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