Urgent Recall: Whole Foods Guacamole Elevated To Highest FDA Threat Level

On August 12, 2026, Whole Foods and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced a recall of prepared food products, including guacamole, sold at Whole Foods that contained jalapeño peppers from Coast Citrus Distributors due to concerns regarding salmonella, the cause of one of the most common types of food poisoning. Affected guacamole products included Mild Guacamole Dip, Mild Guacamole Dip No Tomatoes, Spicy Guacamole Dip No Tomatoes, Medium Pico de Gallo Guacamole Dip, Pomegranate Guacamole Dip, Roasted Corn Guacamole Dip, Spicy Guacamole Dip, and the Dip Trio. The store's Heirloom Tomato Salsa and Mango Pineapple Salsa also contained the potentially harmful jalapeño pepper.

On August 20, 2026, the recall was upgraded to Class I, the FDA's highest threat level. According to the FDA's website, a Class I recall means "there is a reasonable probability that the use of or exposure to a violative product will cause serious adverse health consequences or death." It's important to protect yourself if you have a vegetable product in your fridge that potentially contains salmonella. Healthy adults and older children may experience digestive issues and flu-like symptoms if they eat food contaminated with salmonella, but the illness typically passes within a week or so. For other groups, however — including babies and young children, the elderly, and people who have weakened immune systems — a salmonella infection can be as dangerous as the Class I recall level dictates.

If you recently purchased guacamole from Whole Foods, first determine whether the item is included in the FDA recall. The affected guacamole and salsa was sold at Whole Foods locations in Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana, Arkansas, Wisconsin, Michigan, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Missouri, Kentucky, and Ohio with best by dates ranging from August 7, 2026 to August 16, 2026. The FDA's website is updated regularly as new information becomes available.

If you have recalled food in your refrigerator, dispose of it safely or bring it and your receipt to Whole Foods to get a refund. If you've already eaten the recalled food, throw any remaining guacamole or salsa away immediately, and thoroughly clean any surfaces the product touched. It can take anywhere from 12 hours to three days for symptoms to set in should the product have been contaminated. If you have a compromised immune system, are elderly, or a young child in your care consumed the product, reach out to a healthcare professional for guidance right away.