A recall involving Salata Salad Kitchen Jalapeño Avocado Dressing has been classified at the FDA’s highest recall level after an ingredient supplier’s jalapeños were linked to a multistate Salmonella outbreak that has sickened hundreds of people.
FDA Assigns Class I Status to the Dressing Recall
According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the voluntary recall initiated by Salata Dressings, LLC received a Class I classification on Sept. 29. The Texas-based company originally announced the recall in August after learning that diced jalapeños supplied for the dressing could have been contaminated with Salmonella.
A Class I recall is the FDA’s most serious category. The agency uses it when there is a “reasonable probability” that exposure to a recalled product could cause serious health consequences or death.
The recall covers 1,724 cases of Salata Salad Kitchen Jalapeño Avocado Dressing distributed in Georgia, North Carolina and Texas.
Affected products include 12.5-fluid-ounce bottles carrying UPC 8 50043-70646 5, as well as one-gallon jugs packed four to a shipping case. The FDA enforcement report lists expiration dates ranging from July 8, 2026, through Nov. 25, 2026.
The potential contamination did not originate with the finished dressing itself. Salata said the concern involved diced jalapeños received from a supplier and used during production.
Jalapeños Were Used Across Several Production Lots
Salata Dressings said it received the affected diced jalapeños across four lots and used them to make dressing between July 8 and July 29.
The company said it initiated the recall after suppliers warned that the ingredient “may have been contaminated with Salmonella and possibly associated with a multistate outbreak” being investigated by federal regulators.
The wider investigation centered on jalapeños from Sinaloa, Mexico, distributed by Coast Citrus Distributors.
Coast Citrus began recalling certain jalapeños on July 22. The company expanded that action on Aug. 5 to cover remaining jalapeños imported from Sinaloa and connected with the outbreak investigation.
The supplier recall also affected companies further down the distribution chain. Businesses announcing recalls tied to the Coast Citrus products included Salata Dressings, Whole Foods Market and Taylor Fresh Foods.
Credit : HEB
Salata Says it Stopped Distribution after Supplier Alert
Salata said it acted after receiving notification from Coast Citrus about the affected ingredient.
“Upon receiving this notice, we immediately identified all affected finished product, ceased further distribution, quarantined the product, destroyed the product and notified HEB immediately,” Salata Dressings said of the alert from Coast Citrus Distributors.
In its company announcement, Salata identified recalled Jalapeño Avocado Dressing sold in 12-ounce bottles with best-by dates of Nov. 5, Nov. 13, Nov. 18 and Nov. 25.
Those bottles were distributed through H-E-B stores in Texas between July 13 and Aug. 5, according to the company’s notice.
Salata advised customers who purchased an affected product from H-E-B to return it for a refund.
At the time of that announcement, the company said it had received no reports of illness directly associated with the recalled dressing.
Multistate Outbreak Has Sickened More than 400 People
The recall unfolded against a larger Salmonella outbreak investigation involving jalapeños distributed by Coast Citrus.
FDA outbreak data cited in the recall information showed 431 illnesses across 32 states, including 57 hospitalizations. The most recent reported illness onset date was Aug. 2.
That broader outbreak does not mean every person who became ill consumed Salata dressing. The federal investigation focused on the supply of potentially contaminated jalapeños and the multiple products and businesses that received them.
This distinction matters because Salata’s dressing recall represents one downstream part of a much larger distribution network. Federal investigators and companies used supply records to identify products that may have contained the affected ingredient.
What Salmonella Infection Can Cause
Salmonella infection can cause fever, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting and abdominal symptoms, according to the health information included with Salata’s recall announcement.
Most infections remain confined to the intestinal tract, but in uncommon cases the bacteria can enter the bloodstream and lead to more severe illness.
Young children, older adults and people with weakened immune systems can face a greater risk of serious complications.
Consumers checking their refrigerators should compare their dressing’s size, UPC and date information with the recalled product details. Salata’s notice specifically directed customers with affected products purchased at H-E-B to return them for a refund.
The FDA’s outbreak investigation page reported 431 illnesses and 57 hospitalizations in 32 states, with the latest recorded illness beginning on Aug. 2.
