Keep Texas Spicy: Commissioner Miller Urges Food Safety Amid Jalapeño Salmonella Outbreak

Food safety Production Agriculture
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AUSTIN – Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller today urged Texans to pay close attention to federal food safety guidance following a multistate Salmonella outbreak linked to some fresh jalapeño peppers imported from Mexico. With jalapeños a staple in Texas kitchens, Commissioner Miller said the outbreak underscores the importance of protecting the nation’s food supply, maintaining strong safety standards for imported produce, and supporting Texas and American farmers whenever possible.

The following statement may be attributed to Commissioner Sid Miller:

“Texans love jalapeños. We put them on burgers, tacos, nachos, barbecue, and just about anything else that needs a little kick. They’re practically their own food group in Texas. That’s why Texans need to be able to trust that the peppers they bring home are safe.

This Salmonella outbreak in jalapeños from a supplier in Mexico is another reminder that food security is national security. Texans deserve confidence in the food on their table, and our farmers and producers deserve a system that doesn’t put them at a disadvantage against imported products that fail to meet food safety standards.

I appreciate the FDA, CDC, and our state and local partners for moving quickly to identify the source, alert consumers, and get potentially contaminated products off the shelves. But we also need to ask the bigger question: how do we keep contaminated foreign produce from entering our food supply in the first place?

Texas farmers grow some of the finest produce anywhere in the world under rigorous food-safety standards. We ought to be supporting those farmers and strengthening American agriculture instead of becoming increasingly dependent on foreign food.

Texans need to check the recall information, follow FDA guidance, and when you have a choice, buy Texas and buy American. Keep those spicy jalapeños coming, just make sure they’re safe.”

To read FDA’s announcement, click here.

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