The nation's largest traditional grocery chain has removed jalapeno peppers from its stores as a precaution.
Kroger Co. spokeswoman Meghan Glynn said Thursday it decided to halt jalapeno sales after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration reported Monday that a McAllen, Texas, distributor was recalling jalapenos because they had the potential to be contaminated with salmonella. She said Kroger removed jalapenos the next day, even though none of its supply was from the Texas distributor.
"It's a precautionary measure," she said.
Glynn said Kroger had received no complaints from customers suspecting jalapenos made them ill.
On Monday, the Texas-based grocery chain H-E-B announced a voluntary recall of products containing fresh jalapenos after government inspectors found a strain of salmonella on a single Mexican-grown jalapeno pepper handled in Texas.
H.E. Butt Grocery Co., based in San Antonio, also said its move was precautionary. The privately held grocer operates more than 300 stores in Texas and Mexico.
The government is warning against eating fresh jalapenos or products made from them while it continues to investigate a national salmonella outbreak initially linked to tomatoes.
The Texas distributor, Agricola Zaragoza, suspended sales of fresh jalapenos and recalled those shipped since June 30. It said those shipments were made to Georgia and Texas.
Cincinnati-based Kroger operates nearly 2,500 supermarkets and multi-department stores in 31 states, some under local banners such as Ralphs, Fred Meyer, Fry's, and Dillons.
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