A Major Cucumber Recall Has Been Issued—Here's What You Need to Know
05 August 2023, Brandenburg, Gol?en: Salad cucumbers lie at a sales stand at the Spreewald Cucumber Day in Gol?en, which visitors walk past. At numerous sales stands, the several hundred visitors to the Gherkin Day buy mainly regional products, some of which are consumed immediately. A stage program with live music entertains the guests. Photo: Frank Hammerschmidt/dpa (Photo by Frank Hammerschmidt/picture alliance via Getty Images)
The Food & Drug Administration is issuing a major, multi-state recall after several shipments of cucumbers were found to be at risk for Salmonella contamination.
The whole veggies, shipped from Fresh Start Produce Sales Inc. in Florida, were shipped in bulk to distributors and retailers in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Maryland, North Carolina, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia between May 17th and May 21st, 2024. They are reportedly all dark green in color, between five and nine inches long, and one and a half to two inches in diameter. Mini cucumbers and English cucumbers are not at risk.
According to the FDA, the contamination was reported to the company by the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture, after a sample tested positive for the bacteria. The organization is conducting whole genome sequencing to see if this contamination is related to an ongoing outbreak investigation.
It's unclear what stores or restaurants stocked the affected veggies, though, due to the timeline, they are not expected to be on shelves anymore. If anyone is still in possession of the recalled cukes, they should discard them or return them to the point of purchase for a refund.
Consuming the contaminated products could lead to stomach flu-like symptoms, including diarrhea, cramps, fever, nausea, vomiting, chills, headache, and more, according to the Mayo Clinic.
If you're unsure if your products are at risk, you should contact the store you shop at to find out if they carried the recalled products.
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