A salmonella outbreak connected to a Florida-based cucumber producer has expanded significantly, with 45 individuals across 18 states now reporting illnesses, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) confirmed on Friday. Major retailers, including Target and Walmart, are among those that sold the contaminated produce and related ready-to-eat items, prompting urgent warnings for consumers to discard affected products.
Target recently joined the growing list of retailers issuing alerts for recalled cucumbers and various ready-to-eat items containing them. The company released a list of affected products, which includes a Greek-style chicken salad from Boar's Head and several sushi varieties, such as Mai-brand maki rolls with tempura and California rolls. Last week, Walmart had already advised its customers to discard potentially tainted items, specifically mentioning its Marketside cucumber slices in the recall.
Illnesses linked to this outbreak have been reported in Alabama, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Michigan, North Carolina, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia. Of the 45 confirmed cases, 16 individuals have required hospitalization, though no fatalities have been reported to date.
While investigators have primarily focused on the Salmonella Montevideo strain, the FDA's Friday statement revealed that multiple other salmonella strains were detected in samples collected from a Pennsylvania distribution center associated with Bedner Growers, believed to be a source of the contamination. The FDA is collaborating with scientists from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to determine if these additional strains are linked to further human illnesses, with more analysis pending.
Currently, all reported illnesses have been traced back to cucumbers produced by Bedner Growers and distributed by Fresh Start Produce Sales. The affected cucumbers and products made with them were sold between April 29 and May 19. The initial alerts for potentially tainted cucumbers involved three Bedner’s Farm Fresh Market locations in Florida, but the list of public-facing sellers has since broadened considerably. Other distributors and eateries were also advised that they might have purchased the contaminated cucumbers, which were labeled for wholesale as "supers," "selects," or "plains."
FDA inspectors discovered tainted cucumbers during a facility inspection at Bedner Growers last month. This review was a follow-up to a Salmonella Africana outbreak linked to the same producer in the previous year. Bedner Growers did not immediately respond to inquiries late Friday, while a spokesperson for Fresh Start Produce Sales stated last week that the company is "committed to protecting public health and helping Bedner Growers with its recall."
Salmonella is a type of bacteria that can thrive in animal environments and their fecal matter, potentially contaminating nearby produce. If such produce is consumed unwashed, it can lead to illness. According to the FDA and CDC, salmonella is a leading cause of foodborne illness, hospitalizations, and deaths in the United States and globally. Symptoms, which can include stomach cramps, diarrhea, nausea, and vomiting, typically appear between six hours and six days after infection. Young children under five, older individuals, and those with compromised immune systems are particularly vulnerable to severe symptoms and even death from salmonella infection.
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