MINNESOTA — Chipotle removed jalapeños from its restaurants and replaced them with product from different growers on August 4, 2026. The action followed an investigation by the Food and Drug Administration and Minnesota health officials that linked the ingredient to a salmonella outbreak.

The Minnesota Department of Health is investigating a salmonella outbreak linked to Mexican-style restaurants. The outbreak has sickened at least 110 people in Minnesota. Jalapeños are suspected as the vehicle for the illness.

"Out of an abundance of caution, we proactively removed the jalapeños from our restaurants and replaced them with product from different growers," Chipotle said in a statement. The company stated it acted after learning of a potential outbreak in the supply chain.

Laurie Schalow, Chipotle’s chief corporate affairs and food safety officer, provided further detail on the company's response. She said the company has a robust ingredient traceability system and, upon learning of a potential Salmonella outbreak in the supply chain impacting several food service retailers, proactively identified jalapeños as a potential common ingredient from a common lot, removed them from the restaurants where they had been distributed, and replaced them with product from different growers.

Schalow noted that the affected ingredients were not limited to Chipotle locations. The jalapeños in question were sent to several food service retailers across multiple states," she said. Neither Minnesota, Chipotle nor the FDA have named other states with suspected cases. The supplier of the jalapeños has not been named."

State officials interviewed 84 of the people sickened in the outbreak. Of those interviewed, 75 reported eating at Chipotle between June 14 and July 14. This figure represents 89% of the patients who provided information to investigators.

Carlota Medus, a senior epidemiologist supervisor in the Minnesota Department of Health Foodborne Disease Unit, addressed the scope of the investigation. She said jalapeños are suspected as the vehicle and indicated that the source of the contamination extended beyond a single chain.

She said that based on all the evidence so far, the food that made people sick was served at other restaurants as well. Health officials said Chipotle has been cooperative throughout the investigation. The Minnesota Department of Health said it appreciates Chipotle's cooperation with the investigation and will provide additional information if and when there is an actionable public health update.

Medus expressed confidence in the steps taken by the restaurant chain. She said given the measures Chipotle put in place, officials are not concerned about Chipotle. However, she warned that the situation might not be fully resolved. She said it is possible that the outbreak is ongoing if the contaminated food item is being served elsewhere.

Medus expects the case count to rise because of the time it takes to detect cases. The Food and Drug Administration began investigating multiple ingredients tied to the salmonella outbreak on July 22. As of December 2025, Chipotle has 4,000 locations.

Shares of Chipotle slid $3.28, or 8.8%, to $34.18 on Tuesday afternoon. Earlier coverage on August 4, 2026, reported that Chipotle pulled jalapeños from some restaurants as health officials investigated the salmonella outbreak. Chipotle was implicated in at least five separate foodborne illness outbreaks between 2015 and 2018.

Salmonella symptoms can start anywhere from six hours to six days after infection and can last from four to seven days. Symptoms of a salmonella infection may include watery diarrhea, stomach cramps, headache, nausea, vomiting, and a loss of appetite. Salmonella can cause diarrhea, fever and stomach cramps within eight to 72 hours after exposure.

The removal of jalapeños from Chipotle restaurants affects a national chain with 4,000 locations as of December 2025. The outbreak has sickened at least 110 people in Minnesota, with 89% of interviewed patients reporting consumption at Chipotle during the exposure window. The investigation involves multiple states and food service retailers, though specific jurisdictions beyond Minnesota have not been identified.

Health officials expect the case count to rise due to detection lag, indicating the public health impact may expand. The FDA initiated its investigation on July 22, focusing on multiple ingredients before identifying jalapeños as the suspected vehicle. Chipotle's proactive removal of the ingredient and replacement with product from different growers demonstrates the role of supply chain traceability in managing food safety risks. The company's stock price declined by 8.8% following the announcement, reflecting market reaction to the operational disruption and reputational risk.

Why It Matters

The contamination extends beyond a single chain, as officials state the affected jalapeños were distributed to multiple food service retailers across several states. With 89% of interviewed patients reporting recent visits to Chipotle, the outbreak has already sickened at least 110 people in Minnesota, though health officials warn the case count is likely to rise. The situation remains unresolved if the contaminated product continues to be served at other unidentified locations.