WASHINGTON The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has declared domestically grown jalapeno and serrano peppers safe to eat, and said Friday that contaminated peppers from Mexico are likely responsible for the salmonella outbreak that has sickened 1,294 people since April.
The FDA's investigation into the salmonella outbreak initially implicated three varieties of tomatoes as possible sources, but later focused on jalapenos.
Last week, the FDA said a jalapeno grown in Mexico and distributed by a McAllen, Texas, company tested positive for the rare strain of Salmonella Saintpaul. FDA officials said its investigation has determined that the Texas plant, Agricola Zaragoza Inc., was not the original source of the contamination.
As of Friday, the FDA was advising people to avoid raw jalapenos grown, harvested or packed in Mexico. The agency reiterated that canned, pickled or cooked jalapenos from any source were safe to eat.
