New Mexico officials begin ‘chile blitz’ to spot fake chiles

LAS CRUCES, N.M. – New Mexico officials have launched a “chile blitz” aimed at spotting fake New Mexico chile.

New Mexico Department of Agriculture Standards and Consumer Services inspectors are traveling the state this week to ensure processed and fresh chile products are compliant under the New Mexico Chile Advertising Act.

State law forbids anyone from knowingly advertising or selling chile peppers that claim to be from New Mexico but are from somewhere else.

The law also bans anyone from selling chiles from other states with images of New Mexico cities, towns or recognizable state images in advertisements.