U.S. officials are warning Americans not to eat, sell or serve cucumbers from a Florida grower while they investigate a new multistate Salmonella outbreak linked to the company.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) are investigating salmonella infections linked to cucumbers grown by Bedner Growers, Inc., in Boynton Beach, Fla., and distributed by Fresh Start Produce Sales, Inc., of Delray, Fla.
The agency recommends that restaurants, retailers and distributors notify customers of a possible health risk if potentially contaminated cucumbers were purchased between April 29 and May 19. Consumers who don’t know the source of cucumbers should throw them away, officials noted.
So far, 26 people in 15 states have been infected with Salmonella, with nine being hospitalized, according to the FDA. Eleven of the 13 people interviewed in the investigation reported eating cucumbers. The last illness was reported on April 28. No deaths have been reported.
The FDA discovered that an environmental sample collected during an inspection in April at Bedner Growers tested positive for Salmonella and matched recent clinical samples from sick individuals. The inspection was part of a follow-up on the Salmonella outbreak from 2024, when 551 people were infected with the illness and 155 people were hospitalized in 34 states and Washington, D.C.
The 2024 outbreak was discovered to be caused by untreated water used by Bedner Growers and Thomas Produce Company, according to the Associated Press.
Symptoms of Salmonella usually begin showing up within 12 to 72 hours after eating the contaminated food, according to the FDA. Symptoms include diarrhea, fever, and abdominal cramps. At-risk individuals, such as children, the elderly and people with weakened immune systems, will likely experience more severe symptoms.
