The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has announced a voluntary recall of whole cucumbers from Fresh Start Produce Sales of Delray, Fla., due to potential Salmonella contamination.
The recalled cucumbers were shipped in bulk cartons from May 17th through May 21st, 2024, directly to retail distribution centers, wholesalers, and food service distributors in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Maryland, North Carolina, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia.
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The recall was initiated after the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture informed the company that a cucumber sample tested positive for the bacteria. The FDA is conducting whole genome sequencing to determine if this sample is related to an ongoing Salmonella outbreak investigation.
The recalled cucumbers are dark green, approximately 1.5 - 2 inches in diameter, and 5 - 9 inches long. Mini cucumbers and English cucumbers are not included in this recall.
FDA
Although these cucumbers are unlikely in the marketplace, anyone with the recalled product should not consume it, but throw it out or return it to the place of purchase for a refund. Consumers should check with their stores to verify whether the recalled cucumbers were sold where they shop. Fresh Start Produce Sales has notified clients who received the recalled product directly from the company and requested that they remove it from commerce.
Salmonella is an organism that can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems. Healthy persons infected with Salmonella often experience fever, diarrhea (which may be bloody), nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain. In rare circumstances, infection with Salmonella can result in the organism getting into the bloodstream and producing more severe illnesses such as arterial infections (i.e., infected aneurysms), endocarditis and arthritis.
