FDA finds Salmonella Saintpaul strain in irrigation water on Mexican farm

Published 31 July 2008

FDA said that jalapeno and serrano peppers grown in the United States are not connected the current outbreak and are safe to eat; traces of Salmonella are found in irrigation water and on a serrano pepper at a Mexican farm

On 29 July the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) updated its Salmonella Saintpaul Outbreak warning. The FDA said that jalapeno and serrano peppers grown in the United States are not connected the current outbreak and are safe to eat. The FDA, though, continues to advise against eating raw jalapeno and serrano peppers harvested or packed in Mexico. Yesterday the FDA told a Congressional hearing it has found the Salmonella Saintpaul strain in irrigation water and on a serrano pepper at a specific farm in Mexico.

As of 28 July the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has received confirmed reports of 1307 people being infected with this strain of Salmonella since April.