Tips for managing food recalls and preventing foodborne illnesses
Approximately 128,000 people are hospitalized and 3,000 die from preventable foodborne diseases each year.
Payton, USA Today
Twenty-six people have been ill due to an outbreak of cucumber-related salmonella sold nationwide, of which nine have been hospitalized. There are currently several cucumbers being recalled.
Cultivated by Florida-based Bedner Growers and distributed through the sale of fresh start produce, the cucumbers are linked to the Centers for Salmonella Outbreak, Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
As part of a follow-up test in April 2025, FDA investigators collected environmental samples from Bedner growers who tested positive for salmonella and matched recent clinical samples from people with illness.
No deaths have been reported so far, according to the FDA.
Here’s what you need to know about recalls and outbreaks:
Which cucumbers will be recalled?
Bednar Growers voluntarily recalls the cucumbers sold at Bednar’s Farm Fresh Market between April 29th and May 14th, 2025. The cucumbers were sold directly to consumers at three Bedner’s Farm Farms Markets Locations in Florida (Boynton Beach, Delray Beach and West Palm Palm Beach).
According to the FDA, cucumbers may have been sold “individually or in small packages” with or without a label that does not have a vest on the same brand, product name, or the best date.
The vegetables were also sold this spring to retailers, distribution centers, wholesalers and food service distributors. The agency did not specifically identify where the cucumbers were sold. According to the FDA, the products were labelled either “super,” “select,” or “plain,” for distributors, restaurants and retailers who purchased the cucumber.
“Don’t sell or offer the entire cucumber grown by Bedner Growers Inc. and distributed by Fresh Start Produce Inc. between April 29, 2025 and May 19, 2025,” the FDA wrote.
What if you think you might have remembered cucumbers
According to the FDA, if you have a cucumber in your home and you don’t know where it came from, throw it away. When eating out next week, consumers should ask whether the cucumbers came from Bednaal producers or from a fresh start production and sales company.
Additionally, the FDA recommends using hot soapy water or dishwasher to clean surfaces and items that may have touched the cucumber.
Companies should not sell or provide services to cucumbers grown by Bednar growers and distributed by Fresh Start Produce Inc. between April 29th and May 19th, 2025.
The FDA also recommends that businesses clean and disinfect items and surfaces that may have come into contact with the cucumber, and stores must notify customers who may have used their store or email signs to purchase the cucumber.
What states are affected by the salmonella outbreak? See the map
As of May 20, cucumber-related salmonella outbreaks have made 26 people sick in the next 15 states.
- Alabama
- California
- Colorado
- Florida
- Illinois
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Michigan
- North Carolina
- new york
- Ohio
- Pennsylvania
- South Carolina
- Tennessee
- Virginia
Symptoms of Salmonella infection
According to the FDA, the disease usually occurs within 12 to 72 hours of eating food contaminated with salmonella, and symptoms usually last for 4 to 7 days.
Symptoms include diarrhea, fever, and abdominal cramps.
According to the FDA, five people, the elderly, and those with weakened immune systems are more likely to have a severe infection.
If you believe you are experiencing symptoms of a Salmonella infection, contact your health care provider immediately.
Natalie Neysa Alund is a senior reporter at USA Today. Contact her at nalund@usatoday.com and follow her at x @natalielu
Gabe Hauari is a national trending news reporter for USA Today. You can follow him with X @geuna Alternatively, email him at gdhauari@gannett.com.
