Whole Foods Recalls Select Salsas, Guacamole, Prepared Foods Over Potential Salmonella Risk

The Whole Foods logo is displayed at a Whole Food store in Glendale, Calif., on Sept. 16, 2024. Mario Tama/Getty Images

The company said the products were recalled because they contain jalapeños supplied by Coast Citrus Distributors that may be contaminated with Salmonella.

The recall, which was announced Wednesday, affects Whole Foods’ produce and prepared foods departments. It applies to dips, salsa, guacamole, pico de gallo, and other prepared foods.

The move is part of the broader Coast Citrus Distributors recall of fresh jalapeños tied to an outbreak currently being investigated by the Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Recalled items were sold online, as well as in the produce and prepared foods departments at stores located in Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana, Arkansas, Wisconsin, Michigan, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Missouri, Kentucky, and Ohio.

The products’ best before or best by dates include Aug. 7 through Aug. 16.

No reported illnesses have been linked to the named Whole Foods products.

The list of recalled products includes multiple varieties of guacamole dips. It includes mild and spicy versions without tomatoes, pomegranate, roasted corn, and others, as well as pico de gallo, various salsas such as Brodie, peach, tomatillo, tropical mango mild, heirloom tomato, and fresca. Some condiments sold with Caribbean mango pineapple turkey burgers are also affected.

Customers who bought any of the listed products should not eat them. Instead, they should discard the items or return them with a valid receipt to any Whole Foods Market store for a full refund.

Multistate Salmonella Outbreak

The FDA and CDC, in collaboration with state and local partners, are currently investigating a multistate outbreak of Salmonella infections linked to fresh jalapeños supplied by Coast Citrus Distributors and believed to be grown in Sinaloa, Mexico, by a separate grower.

After being notified that Coast Citrus Distributors was recalling its peppers, fresh produce supplier Taylor Farms announced on Aug. 9 that it had voluntarily recalled finished products containing jalapeños over concerns that they may be contaminated with Salmonella.

Salmonella can lead to serious and potentially fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and those with compromised immune systems.

Healthy people often experience fever, diarrhea that may be bloody, nausea, vomiting, and abdominal pain. The infection can enter the bloodstream and lead to more severe illnesses such as arterial infections, endocarditis, and arthritis; however, such instances are rare.