The U.S. Food and Drug Administration yesterday rescinded its advice to consumers to avoid eating jalapeño and serrano peppers grown, harvested or packed in Mexico.
The FDA took this action, the agency said, in light of the announcement yesterday by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that the huge salmonella St. Paul outbreak in the U.S. and Canada appears to be over, and that jalapeño and serrano peppers grown in Mexico and associated with the outbreak are no longer in circulation in the U.S. market.
In July, the FDA lifted its advice to avoid raw red round, red Roma, and red plum tomatoes.
The FDA said it continues to work with the CDC, Mexican authorities, state regulatory agencies and food industry groups "to ensure that Americans continue to enjoy one of the safest food supplies in the world."
The outbreak started in April and was initially blamed on specific types of raw tomatoes. News of the spreading waves of illness--which eventually sickened more than 1,330 people--led to tomatoes and then chile peppers being pulled from menus and grocery shelves. The outbreak is one of the largest salmonella outbreaks ever in the U.S., and the largest foodborne outbreak in the last 10 years that is based on confirmed cases.
