WASHINGTON - Only jalapeno peppers grown in Mexico seem to be implicated in the nationwide salmonella outbreak, the government announced Friday in clearing the U.S. crop.

The Food and Drug Administration urged consumers to avoid raw Mexican jalapenos and the serrano peppers often confused with them, or dishes made with them such as fresh salsa.

But the big question is how those who love hot peppers would know where the chiles came from, especially in restaurant food.

By Steven Reinberg
HealthDay Reporter

MONDAY, July 21 (HealthDay News) -- Four days after giving fresh tomatoes the all-clear signal, U.S. health officials are now pointing a warning finger at jalapeno peppers as the source of the ongoing salmonella outbreak.

A sample of jalapenos tainted with Salmonella saintpaul was found at a packing plant in Texas and came from a farm in Mexico, Dr. David Acheson, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's associate commissioner for foods, announced at a mid-afternoon teleconference Monday.

THURSDAY, July 17 (HealthDay News) -- U.S. health officials on Thursday dropped their warning against eating fresh tomatoes, as the toll in the ongoing salmonella outbreak reached 1,220 confirmed cases, with at least 242 people hospitalized.

"As of today, FDA officials believe that consumers may now enjoy all types of fresh tomatoes available on the domestic market without concern about becoming infected with Salmonella saintpaul bacteria," Dr. David Acheson, associate commissioner for foods at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, said during a Thursday afternoon teleconference.