U.S. FDA Recalls Cucumbers After Salmonella Outbreak Sickens 20 People

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has recalled cucumbers grown by Bedner Growers, Inc. and distributed by Fresh Start Produce Sales, Inc. due to a multistate salmonella outbreak that has affected over 20 people.

According to a news release issued by the FDA on Monday, the Florida-based companies distributed the cucumbers to restaurants, wholesalers, retailers, and distribution centers from April 29 to the present.

The FDA is still investigating where the potentially contaminated cucumbers were sold.

“Cucumbers may have been sold individually or in smaller packages, with or without a label that may not bear the same brand, product name, or best by date,” the FDA warned.

“For distributors, restaurants, and retailers who have purchased these cucumbers, the products were labelled as either being ‘supers,’ ‘selects,’ or ‘plains.'”

FDA investigators, during a follow-up inspection of cucumbers last month, collected a sample that tested positive for Salmonella Montevideo and “matched recent clinical samples from ill people,” the agency said.

The inspection followed a previous Salmonella Africana outbreak linked to Bedner Growers, Inc. last year. In 2024, Fresh Start Produce Sales, Inc. also recalled whole cucumbers due to potential salmonella contamination.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, salmonella is a bacterium that can infect individuals through contaminated food, water, or contact with animals, their waste, or their environments.

Infected individuals may experience stomach cramps, diarrhea, nausea, and vomiting within six hours to six days after exposure, with symptoms typically lasting up to seven days.

Salmonella Montevideo is a strain of the salmonella enterica bacteria.

According to the CDC, the bacteria are “a leading cause of foodborne illness, hospitalisations, and deaths in the United States and worldwide.”

The bacteria are responsible for approximately 1.35 million infections in the United States each year.

“Children younger than five, the elderly, and people with weakened immune systems are more likely to have severe infections,” the FDA said.

As of Friday, the FDA reported that at least 26 individuals across 15 states had fallen ill due to the outbreak. The affected states include Florida, Alabama, California, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Colorado, Illinois, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, North Carolina, Virginia, and Tennessee.

Nine people have been hospitalized, and 11 of the 13 patients interviewed said they had consumed cucumbers.

“Consumers, restaurants, and retailers who purchased or received potentially contaminated products, including wholesale products, should carefully clean and sanitize any surfaces or containers that it touched,” the FDA recommended.

The FDA advised restaurants, retailers, and distributors in possession of potentially contaminated cucumbers to discard them and inform their customers.

Anyone uncertain about whether their cucumbers are affected should check with their suppliers, and if uncertainty remains, they should dispose of the cucumbers and sanitise any storage areas.

The FDA stated that the investigation into the outbreak is still ongoing.