As goverment testing for salmonella is getting more and more intense, it is beginning to affect the jalapeño pepper imports from Mexico. If things continue to advance on their current track, it is very likely for shortages to hit the US.

Will Steele, CEO of Frontera Produce of Edinburg, Texas (major pepper importer), estimated that if nothing changes in the following two weeks, people would start getting their burritos jalapeño-free.

As the tests The Food and Drug Administration performs take too long to complete, entire stocks of peppers rot before they can be commercialized. Obviously enough, this is a big problem for importers; while Frontera hasn’t stopped the vegetable’s shipping yet, many others have given up, at least until this situation is sorted out. Raul Cano, co-owner of Grande Produce in Hidalgo, Texas, said his company wants to continue to provide its customers with the same services but, for the time being, the shipping has become impossible. Grande Produce has therefore temporarily stopped the jalapeños business.

It is believed that hot peppers represent the source of the salmonella outbreak that has affected no less than 1,090 US residents.

Last week, the FDA issued a warning advising those presenting a higher risk of infection, the very young and the old, to eliminate fresh jalapeño and serrano peppers from their diets.

A similar warning has been issued last month with regard to tomatoes; it is still unclear which vegetable is responsible for the salmonella situation. It was estimated that tomato-related industry losses have added up to about $250 million. Hopefully, the pepper problem will be given a solution sooner and such losses will be avoided.