Cucumbers recalled over multistate salmonella outbreak

The FDA is warning people not to sell, serve or eat cucumbers grown by Bedner Growers and distributed by Fresh Start Produce Sales between April 29 and May 19. Richard Hamilton Smith/Design Pics Editorial/Universal Images Group via Getty Images hide caption

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is recalling cucumbers across the country over a salmonella outbreak that has sickened more than two dozen people in multiple states.

On Monday, the FDA announced a recall for cucumbers grown by South Florida-based Bedner Growers between April 29 and May 19.

The FDA says Fresh Start Produce Sales distributed them to retailers, distribution centers, wholesalers and food service distributors nationwide, making people sick from California to Kansas to New York — and it is unclear exactly where else they may have ended up.

"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 agency said.

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The cucumbers in question have been linked to what the FDA calls a "multistate outbreak" of Salmonella Montevideo, a bacterial disease that affects the intestinal tract.

As of Tuesday, the cucumbers have made 26 people sick, nine of whom required hospitalization, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

The cases are spread out across 15 states: Alabama, California, Colorado, Florida, Illinois, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, North Carolina, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia.

The agency says investigators conducting a follow-up inspection in April collected an environmental sample from Bedner Growers that was positive for the disease and matched recent clinical samples from people who got sick.

"FDA's traceback investigation has identified Bedner Growers, Inc. as the common grower of cucumbers in this current outbreak," it said.

Acknowledging that salmonella is a "serious health concern," Bedner Growers said in a statement that it is initiating the recall "in an abundance of caution, and out of deep respect for the public health."

Symptoms of salmonella infection include diarrhea, fever, stomach cramps and vomiting. They usually start 12 to 72 hours after eating contaminated food and can last four to seven days.

While many people typically recover on their own within a few days, diarrhea can lead to severe dehydration that requires medical attention.

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The FDA says anyone who has symptoms of a salmonella infection, especially after eating cucumbers, should report them — and seek care — from their medical provider.

The FDA and CDC are working with state and local authorities to investigate the outbreak. They warn that people with cucumbers already in their fridge should err on the side of caution.

"If you cannot tell if your cucumber was grown by Bedner Growers, throw it away," the FDA says. "When eating out over the next week, ask if cucumbers were from Bedner Growers or Fresh Start Produce Sales, Inc."

Consumers, restaurants and retailers who have already handled potentially contaminated cucumbers should carefully sanitize any surfaces or containers that they may have touched.

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