A Florida company’s recalled cucumbers might be linked to a salmonella outbreak
Whole cucumbers from a Delray Beach company have been recalled and are being investigated for a possible link to a current salmonella outbreak with 141 illnesses.
Fresh Start Produce Sales’ FDA-posted recall notice says the whole cucumbers — no mini cucumbers or English cucumbers — were 1.5 to 2 inches around and 5 to 9 inches long. From May 17 through May 21, the cucumbers went to distributors in Florida, North Carolina, South Carolina, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Alabama, Georgia, Illinois, Maryland, Ohio, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia.
Pennsylvania’s Department of Agriculture, Fresh Start’s notice says, found salmonella in a cucumber. The FDA is looking into whether this is “related to an ongoing salmonella outbreak investigation.”
As first pointed out by food safety attorney Bill Marler, the only salmonella outbreak on the FDA’s active investigation chart concerns a salmonella africana outbreak with 141 people sickened and a food link not yet identified.
Salmonella, according to the CDC, sickens about 1.35 million people in the United States each year. Usually, the diarrhea, stomachaches and fever last four to seven days. In about 26,500 people, the diarrhea is bad enough for hospitalization. About 420 people are killed each year by the foodborne disease.
This story was originally published June 2, 2024 at 6:30 AM with the headline "A Florida company’s recalled cucumbers might be linked to a salmonella outbreak."
