The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has issued a new public health alert for 18 meat and poultry products that contain recalled jalapeño peppers potentially contaminated with Salmonella, expanding the food-safety concerns surrounding an outbreak in multiple states in the US.The products were made using jalapeños that had already been recalled by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Many of the affected products are sold under brands including Taylor Farms, Walmart’s Marketside and H-E-B. The products have expiry dates extending through August 15. The USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) said the issue came to light after the FDA notified the agency that several meat and poultry establishments had received the recalled jalapeños as an ingredient.The agency warned that some of the products may still be sitting in consumers’ refrigerators or freezers, advising people not to eat them. Retailers have also been told not to sell the affected products. How Did Jalapeños Expand To A Meat And Poultry Problem?The latest alert is part of a much larger Salmonella investigation. According to the FDA and CDC, the outbreak involves Salmonella Javiana linked to fresh jalapeños grown in Sinaloa, Mexico, and distributed in the US by Coast Citrus Distributors.As of August 5, 345 people across 27 states had been infected, with 36 hospitalizations and no reported deaths. The outbreak began between June 19 and July 20.Investigators found that 177 of 191 interviewed patients, or 93%, had eaten at a Mexican-style restaurant before becoming sick. This included people who had eaten at Chipotle and QDOBA locations. The FDA's investigation identified a common grower in Sinaloa as the most likely source. Coast Citrus has agreed to recall the remaining implicated peppers and has stopped importing from that grower.Also read: Maharashtra Becomes Second Indian State To Ban Sale Of Fake Paneer: Here's Why It Can Be HarmfulWhy Is USDA Involved?This case highlights how a contaminated ingredient can move through the food supply chain and end up in products that are not immediately connected to the outbreak.While the FDA regulates most fresh produce, the USDA's FSIS oversees federally regulated meat and poultry products. Once contaminated jalapeños were used as ingredients in meat and poultry products, the issue crossed into USDA-regulated food.Also read: Nearly 1.6 Million Dozen Eggs Recalled in US Over Potential Salmonella Contamination: FDAWhat Are The Symptoms Of Salmonella? Salmonella infection commonly causes diarrhea, fever and abdominal cramps. Symptoms can surface within hours to several days after consuming contaminated food and generally last four to seven days.Young children, older adults and people with weakened immune systems are at greater risk of developing severe illness. Most importantly, contaminated food may look, smell and taste completely normal, meaning consumers cannot rely on appearance or taste to determine whether the food is safe. Consumers who have purchased products covered by the USDA alert should not eat them. They should either discard them away or return them to the place of purchase.Anyone who develops symptoms after eating a potentially contaminated product should contact a healthcare provider and disclose the possible Salmonella exposure.