FDA Classifies Guacamole Recall at Highest Risk Level amid Investigation into Salmonella Outbreak Linked to Jalapeño Supplier

A Whole Foods guacamole recall was classified by the FDA as Class I, its highest risk level, over possible Salmonella contamination.

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Whole Foods recalled guacamole dips in 13 states due to potential Salmonella contamination linked to jalapeños. The company tells PEOPLE all recalled items were pulled from shelves

The FDA classified the guacamole dip recall as Class I, indicating potential serious health risks from consumption

The recall classification comes amid an FDA investigation into a multistate outbreak of Salmonella linked to jalapeño supplier Coast Citrus Distributors’ fresh jalapeños

A guacamole recall has been classified at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) highest warning level.

Whole Foods voluntarily recalled its Mild Guacamole Dip due to potential Salmonella contamination on Aug. 7. The recall was categorized as a Class I recall by the FDA on Aug. 20, per an enforcement report.

According to the FDA, a Class I recall indicates that there is a “reasonable probability that the use of or exposure to” the affected item “will cause serious adverse health consequences or death.”

The recall, initiated on Aug. 7 by Whole Foods, affects 12,995 units of refrigerated Whole Foods Mild Guacamole Dip in various sizes with best-before or best-by dates ranging from Aug. 7, 2026 to Aug. 12, 2026.

The recalled items have PLU codes 21211600000, 21501700000, 25705700000, 25054100000 and 25926000000.

The enforcement report said the affected items were packed for the Whole Foods Market locations at 1745 W. Market Street in Akron, Ohio, or 4301 W. William Cannon in Austin, Texas.

The items were distributed in Arkansas, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Ohio, Oklahoma, Texas and Wisconsin, per the report.

The FDA said the reason for the recall was because “salsa and Guacamole products were made with jalapeños that may be contaminated with Salmonella.”

The recall classification comes after a recall by Whole Foods on Aug. 12 of various finished products like dips, salsa and guacamole containing jalapeños due to potential Salmonella contamination, per a company announcement.

The company issued its recall in connection with Coast Citrus Distributors’ jalapeño recall, which was linked by the FDA and Centers for Disease Control (CDC) to a multistate outbreak of Salmonella.

Whole Foods recalled select items containing jalapeños sourced from Coast Citrus Distributors.

Along with the Mild Guacamole Dip, the company recalled its Mild Guacamole Dip No Tomatoes, Spicy Guacamole Dip No Tomatoes, Medium Pico de Gallo Guacamole Dip, Pomegranate Guacamole Dip, Roasted Corn Guacamole Dip, Spicy Guacamole Dip and Dip Trio.

The items have best-before or best-by dates from Aug. 7 to Aug. 12, 2026.

Further, the recall affected the brand’s Salsa, Heirloom Tomato and Mango Pineapple Salsa sold for the Caribbean Mango Pineapple Turkey Burger, which have expiration dates between Aug. 9 and Aug. 14.

The company said that the affected items were sold both online and in stores in Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana, Arkansas, Wisconsin, Michigan, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Missouri, Kentucky and Ohio.

“No illnesses have been reported to date in connection with these products,” the company said.

“Nothing matters more to us than our customers’ safety,” a spokesperson for Whole Foods tells PEOPLE in an emailed statement. “We’ve pulled all recalled products from our shelves. Customers who purchased any of these products from us should throw them away and contact us for a refund.”

The FDA and CDC are investigating a multistate outbreak of Salmonella linked to Coast Citrus Distributors’ fresh jalapeños, as a grower that supplies the company from Sinaloa, Mexico, was identified as a potential source in the outbreak.

The outbreak has affected 431 people, including 57 hospitalizations, in 32 states.

The affected jalapeños were distributed to restaurants and food service companies, per the FDA.

“Do not eat, serve, or sell recalled fresh jalapeños or products containing recalled jalapeños,” the FDA said.

PEOPLE has reached out to Coast Citrus Distributors for comment.

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Per the FDA, Taylor Fresh Foods recalled multiple products containing jalapeños supplied by Coast Citrus Distributors on Aug. 9, including the Salsa Fresca Medium, Pico de Gallo Mild and Spicy items, Salsa Roja Medium and Pineapple Mango Salsa Mild products sold at Whole Foods in Illinois and Texas with a range of “best if used by” dates up to and including Aug. 16, 2026.

A spokesperson for Whole Foods told PEOPLE over email, “Nothing matters more to us than our customers’ safety. We’ve pulled all recalled products from our shelves. Customers who purchased any of these products from us should throw them away and contact us for a refund.”

“Taylor Fresh Foods is no longer sourcing products from this farmer and will be filling orders from alternative suppliers,” Taylor Farms’ recall announcement said of the Sinaloa, Mexico grower. “To date, Taylor Fresh Foods is not aware of any reported illnesses linked to its products containing jalapeños.”

As of Aug. 5, 93% of the 191 people interviewed as part of the outbreak investigation reported eating at a Mexican-style restaurant before contracting Salmonella infections, including Chipotle and QDOBA, which both received Coast Citrus Distributors jalapeños from Sinaloa, Mexico.

Chipotle switched its jalapeño supplier for impacted stores on July 20 and no longer serves impacted products. QDOBA stopped using jalapeños in its stores on July 28.

Per the FDA, Salmonella infection results in symptoms like fever, nausea, diarrhea, vomiting and abdominal pain.

For young children, elderly people and others with weakened immune systems, it can also lead to serious and sometimes fatal infections, the agency said.

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