Cucumbers Recalled In Multistate Salmonella Outbreak
At least nine people have been hospitalized.
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Check your crisper drawer. Cucumbers grown by Bedner Growers, Inc., and distributed by Fresh Start Produce Sales, Inc. — both Florida-based companies — and sold to customers via retail stores, distribution centers, wholesalers and food service distributors as recently as Monday, May 19, are being recalled. The cucumbers have been linked to a multistate outbreak of Salmonella.
“Do not eat, sell or serve recalled cucumbers grown by Bedner Growers, Inc. and distributed by Fresh Start Produce Sales, Inc.,” the U.S. Food and Drug Association warns in an outbreak notification posted online.
The contaminated cucumbers were sold at both restaurant and retail locations, but the FDA is still investigating precisely where geographically and to what stores and restaurants they were distributed. The investigation — which also involves the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention — is currently listed as “ongoing.”
So far, 26 people from 15 states have been infected by the strain of Salmonella Montevideo linked to the outbreak. At least nine of those people have been hospitalized. The states where cases have been reported so far are Alabama, California, Colorado, Florida, Illinois, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, North Carolina, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia, with the greatest number of illnesses reported in Illinois, Ohio, North Carolina and Florida.
The suspect cucumbers were sold — between April 25 and May 19 — “individually or in smaller packages, with or without a label that may not bear the same brand, product name, or best by date,” according to the FDA. The products available to restaurants, retailers and distributors were labeled as either being “supers,” “selects” or “plains.”
Consumers may be notified by restaurants, retailers and distributors that suspect they may have sold, used or distributed the recalled cucumbers. If you are not sure if cucumbers you have in your fridge are from Bedner Growers, you are advised to throw them away. You should also clean and sanitize any surfaces or containers that may have come into contact with the cucumbers to prevent cross contamination.
“When eating out over the next week, ask if cucumbers were from Bedner Growers or Fresh Start Produce Sales, Inc.,” the FDA advises.
Sickness from Salmonella usually hits between 12 and 72 hours after consuming contaminated food. Symptoms may include diarrhea, fever and abdominal cramps and generally last between four and seven days. Young children, older people and those with weakened immune systems are at greater risk of developing severe infections. If you think you may have been infected with Salmonella after eating possibly contaminated cucumbers, you are advised to contact your healthcare provider.
More information about the outbreak and recall can be found here.
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