FDA Classifies Jalapeño Product Recall as Class I After Texas and Louisiana Products Are Pulled
A recall involving certain NatureBest and H-E-B products containing jalapeños has received the Food and Drug Administration’s most serious recall classification. The FDA classified the recall as Class I after the products were linked to a wider Salmonella Javiana outbreak investigation involving jalapeños distributed by Coast Citrus Distributors.
The affected products were sold to retail customers in Texas and Louisiana, according to NatureBest’s recall information. Customers who purchased certain jalapeño-containing products should check their packages carefully rather than assuming all items from the brands are included.
What the recall involves
NatureBest Precut & Produce LLC voluntarily recalled specific products made with jalapeños supplied by Coast Citrus Distributors because of potential Salmonella contamination. The FDA said the recall began after Coast Citrus notified NatureBest that certain jalapeños it supplied were themselves subject to recall.
The recalled products include specific NatureBest and H-E-B items containing jalapeños. The listed categories include NatureBest soup mix, NatureBest mild, medium, and hot pico de gallo, NatureBest mild cheddar-and-jalapeño stuffed mushrooms, H-E-B diced jalapeño, H-E-B mango pico de gallo, H-E-B mild, medium, and hot pico de gallo, H-E-B jalapeño-popper stuffed mushrooms, and NatureBest mango pico de gallo and mild pico de gallo.
The FDA notice includes product identifiers such as UPCs, lot codes, and best-by or use-by dates. Because the affected codes vary by product, customers should compare their package against the FDA’s item-by-item recall information instead of relying only on a general date range.
Why the FDA gave the recall a Class I classification
A Class I recall is the FDA’s highest risk classification. The agency defines it as a situation where there is a reasonable probability that using or being exposed to a violative product could cause serious adverse health consequences or death.
The classification describes the potential severity of the recall situation. It does not mean that every affected package is contaminated, that every person who consumed an affected product will become ill, or that the recall has caused deaths.
Where the recalled products were sold
NatureBest says the affected products were distributed to retail customers in Texas and Louisiana between July 3 and August 5, 2026.
For shoppers outside those states, the specific NatureBest and H-E-B finished products listed in this recall should not automatically be assumed to have been sold locally without confirmation. The broader jalapeño outbreak investigation involves multiple states, but the finished products named in this recall have the listed Texas and Louisiana distribution area.
Connection to the broader jalapeño outbreak investigation
Federal investigators linked the multistate outbreak to jalapeños from Sinaloa, Mexico, distributed by Coast Citrus Distributors, based on epidemiologic and traceback evidence.
The reported illness totals have changed as the investigation has continued. The NatureBest recall notice reported 345 illnesses in 27 states based on CDC epidemiologic information available at that time, while a later CDC update reported 431 identified illnesses in 27 states and 36 hospitalizations. CDC’s August 4 update reported no deaths.
What customers should do
Customers who have a recalled product should not eat it. The company and FDA advise consumers to discard the product or return it to the place of purchase.
Before throwing away a product, shoppers should check the brand, product name, UPC, lot code, and best-by or use-by date against the FDA notice.
The CDC also advises washing and sanitizing surfaces or items that may have come into contact with recalled jalapeños or recalled products.
