As we go into the weekend, we know more than at anytime since the start of the Salmonella Saintpaul outbreak.  We know the source of the outbreak is jalapeño peppers grown, harvested or packed in Mexico.  We know jalapeño and Serrano peppers grown in the USA are safe to eat, be they raw, canned, pickled or cooked.

We know the outbreak is not over, but its winding down.   The latest onset of the illness was July 10th.   That date bumped forward by a week during the last couple of days.  The U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) explained how responsibility has been pinned on Mexico.   According to FDA:

Additional traceback information obtained this week indicates that the Agricola Zaragoza plant in McAllen, Texas—from where the positive jalapeño pepper sample was taken—have determined that the Texas plant was not the original source of the contamination.

The Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) said the number of confirmed cases as of late July 24 stood at 1,294.  CDC said 31 people became ill between July 1 and 11.  The outbreak falls just five states short of covering the entire "Lower 48" states.  We think the CDC’s epidemic curve shows the outbreak in its winding down stage.

Interpretation of Epidemic Curves

During an Active Outbreak