Federal health officials are warning of an epidemic with several states of salmonella linked to cucumbers sold to stores and restaurants.
A total of 26 people in 15 states were bonded in the epidemic, with nine hospitalized people, the American Food and Drug Administration said in a declaration of May 19.
No deaths have been reported.
The affected cucumbers were cultivated by Bedner Growers Inc. and distributed by Fresh Start Produce Inc. to retailers, restaurants and distributors between April 29, 2025 and May 19, 2025, according to the FDA.
The agency notes that cucumbers may have been sold with or without a label and may have been sold individually or in smaller packages.
Companies are informed by the FDA not to sell or serve whole cucumbers.
Green cucumbers on shelf at the supermarket.
Yulia Kokosha / Getty Images
Consumers should throw cucumbers at home if they cannot say where they come from, the agency said this week. By eating outside next week, consumers should ask if cucumbers came from Bedner producers or new Departure producers Sales Inc.
Bedner Growers Inc. was also one of the producers potentially linked to a Salmonella epidemic with several states In cucumbers in 2024. The United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said at the time that there was no product of Bedner Growers, Inc. on the market and probably no continuous risk for the public.
Bedner Growers Inc., based in Boynton Beach, Florida, told ABC News in a statement on Wednesday that he had initiated a voluntary reminder of his cucumbers cultivated and sent from April 29, 2025 to May 19, 2025, after learning that some of his cucumbers could be bound by the FDA to a Salmonella ditch.
“The fresh markets of the Bedner farm have already recalled and eliminated all the cucumbers possibly contaminated in their retail markets in Boynton Beach, Delray Beach and West Palm Beach,” the company said in a statement. “The current products that you will find today in the markets are not completely affected by this recall. The products that have been shipped by our wholesale channels are also recalled through the FDA processes.”
The declaration noted: “Salmonella is a serious health problem. Bedner producers are extremely concerned about the safety of the products it cultivated.”
A company spokesperson for Fresh Start Produce Inc., based in Delray Beach, Florida, told ABC News in a separate statement on Wednesday: “Fresh Start’s starting products are committed to protecting public health and helping Bedner producers with his recall.
The FDA said its investigation into the epidemic was underway.
What to know of Salmonella
Salmonella is bacteria that cause approximately 1.35 million infections in the United States each year, with contaminated foods as a source of most of these diseases, according to The United States is centers for the control and prevention of diseases.
Salmonella is most often spread through food but can also spread in water, animals, people and other ways, the agency said.
Symptoms With a salmonella infection includes abdominal pain, fever, headache, aqueous diarrhea which can also have blood or mucus, loss of appetite, nausea and vomiting.
“Symptoms usually start 6 hours to 6 days after infection and usually last 4 to 7 days,” said the CDC.
Most people recover without treatment after four to seven days. Some, in particular children under the age of 5 and adults 65 and over, or people with weakened immune systems, may suffer from more serious illnesses that require medical treatment or hospitalization.
Advice to help prevent Salmonella infection
The CDC recommended Home cooks follow these four steps to help prevent Salmonella patients.
Clean up: Often wash your hands, utensils and surfaces. Rinse fruits and vegetables under running water before eating, cutting or peeling off.
Separated: Keep foods that will not be cooked separate from raw meat, poultry and seafood.
Cook: Use a food thermometer to make sure you have cooked your food at a high enough temperature to kill germs.
Coldness: Refrigerate perishable foods (foods that go wrong) within two hours. If the outside temperature is warmer than 90 degrees Fahrenheit, refrigerate in less than an hour. Decle the food in the refrigerator, not on the counter.