Chipotle Pulls Jalapeños Tied to Minnesota Salmonella Outbreak

Chipotle said Tuesday that it has removed jalapeños linked to a salmonella outbreak in Minnesota from its restaurants and replaced them with product from other growers.

In a statement, the chain said it acted amid a public health investigation into an outbreak that Chipotle said had affected "several food service retailers in Minnesota."

The Minnesota Department of Health said it has identified 110 cases connected to the outbreak. Of the 84 Minnesotans interviewed as part of the investigation, 75 reported eating at Chipotle. Those customers ate at the restaurants between June 14 and July 14, with most visits falling between June 24 and July 2, the agency said.

"Out of an abundance of caution, we proactively removed the jalapeños from our restaurants and replaced them with product from different growers," Chipotle said. "The Minnesota Department of Health has confirmed it has no ongoing concerns with Chipotle. We are cooperating with public health authorities in their efforts."

FDA reviewing multiple ingredients

The Food and Drug Administration said it opened a traceback investigation on July 22 into "multiple ingredients" after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and state officials identified a cluster of salmonella cases.

"At the same time, Chipotle, in coordination with state partners, proactively began reviewing its supply chain," the agency said. "FDA appreciates the company's cooperation with the investigation and will provide additional information if and when there is an actionable public health update."

Shares of Chipotle fell $3.28, or 8.8%, to $34.18 on Tuesday afternoon. The decline comes as consumers remain sensitive to food safety issues following a separate cyclospora outbreak that has weighed on demand for some fresh produce and for restaurant chains associated with those foods.

State health officials cautioned that the case count is likely to grow.

"Given the measures Chipotle put in place, we are not concerned about Chipotle. But it is possible that the outbreak is ongoing if the contaminated food item is being served elsewhere," said Carlota Medus, a senior epidemiologist supervisor at the Minnesota Department of Health. "We do expect the case count to increase even if the illnesses occurred a couple of weeks ago, since it takes us a while to detect cases in surveillance."

Visits to Taco Bell, which had served lettuce recalled during the cyclospora outbreak, dropped 30% in mid-July, according to data provided to CBS News by the retail analytics platform Placer.ai.

Salmonella can cause diarrhea, fever and stomach cramps within eight to 72 hours of exposure, according to the Mayo Clinic, which says most healthy people recover within days to a week without treatment.