FDA recalls cucumbers after Salmonella outbreak makes over 20 people sick

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has announced a recall of cucumbers grown by Bedner Growers, Inc. and distributed by Fresh Start Produce Sales, Inc. This recall is due to a Salmonella outbreak that has made over 20 people sick across multiple states.

According to an FDA news release, the cucumbers were distributed to restaurants, wholesalers, retailers, and distribution centers from April 29 to now. The FDA is still trying to find out where these potentially contaminated cucumbers were sold.

The cucumbers may have been sold individually or in small packages, and they might not have a label showing a brand name, product name, or expiration date. The cucumbers were labeled as “supers,” “selects,” or “plains.”

Last month, FDA investigators tested some cucumbers during a follow-up inspection and found Salmonella in a sample. This type of Salmonella matched recent clinical samples from sick patients. This inspection was part of a follow-up to a previous Salmonella outbreak linked to Bedner Growers, Inc. There was also a recall of whole cucumbers in 2024 due to possible Salmonella contamination.

Salmonella is a bacterium that can make people sick if they eat contaminated food, drink contaminated water, or touch infected animals or their droppings. Symptoms of the illness include stomach cramps, diarrhea, nausea, and vomiting, which can appear six hours to six days after infection and may last up to seven days.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Salmonella is a common cause of foodborne illness in the U.S. and worldwide, causing about 1.35 million infections each year. Children under five, the elderly, and people with weakened immune systems are at a higher risk of severe infections.

As of Friday, at least 26 people have reported illnesses from this outbreak in 15 states, including Florida, Alabama, California, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Colorado, Illinois, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, North Carolina, Virginia, and Tennessee. Nine of the patients have been hospitalized, and 11 out of 13 people interviewed said they had eaten cucumbers.

The FDA advises anyone who may have purchased these cucumbers to clean and sanitize any surfaces or containers that came into contact with them. Restaurants, retailers, or distributors with potentially contaminated cucumbers should throw them away and inform their customers. If anyone is unsure whether they purchased the cucumbers, they should contact their suppliers or discard the cucumbers and sanitize the storage area.