Image by Kai Reschke from Pixabay
Salmonella from cucumbers again? It isn’t déjà vu. It is a recurring problem. The same farm associated with a different Salmonella outbreak last year has been linked to this outbreak.
Here’s what we know about the outbreak of Salmonella from cucumbers and how to see if the cucumbers in your home are safe.
So far there have been at least 26 cases of Salmonella illness with the outbreak strain. Nine people have been hospitalized due to their illness. No deaths have been reported.
The latest date of illness onset on record is April 28, 2025. However, there may be others. It can take weeks for a sick person’s sample to be connected to a multi-state outbreak.
This multi-state outbreak spans 15 states so far. Including Alabama, California, Colorado, Florida, Illinois, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, North Carolina, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia.
On May 19, 2025, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced the source of the Salmonella Montevideo outbreak. Likely the same Salmonella Montevideo outbreak added to the FDA’s Active Outbreak Investigations table on May 14, 2025. At least nine cases have been added since then.
Progress in the Salmonella Montevideo outbreak investigation came from a follow-up inspection at a farm connected to last year’s outbreak of Salmonella from cucumbers, Bedner Growers.
The source of this outbreak investigation was discovered during routine follow-up sampling conducted at Bedner Growers, Inc. in Boynton Beach, Florida.
This farm was one of the sources of last June’s Salmonella Africana and Salmonella Braenderup outbreaks that sickened 551 people and hospitalized 155 across 31 states.
During the course of the follow-up inspection, samples from the farm were obtained. Some of those samples were positive for Salmonella bacteria. Genetic information obtained through additional sample analysis linked the surveillance sample strain to a cluster of illnesses already on the FDA and CDC radar.
Another connection of Salmonella from cucumbers was made.
Traceback information in the form of patient interviews also made a strong case for Salmonella from cucumbers. Reports indicate that 85% of outbreak patients interviewed reported eating cucumbers.
Salmonella bacteria are responsible for the intestinal illness, salmonellosis.
Common symptoms include:
Most people experience symptoms in as little as six hours and up to six days after exposure. In some cases, illness onset could be much longer.
Severity and length of illness often varies from person to person. Most people experience mild illness that passes quickly. Others may experience severe illness lasting weeks or even months after initial symptoms.
Most people, however, feel better within a week (four to seven days).
Certain groups of people have conditions or susceptibilities that make them more likely to become sick if exposed, and experience more severe symptoms if infected.
Those more vulnerable to Salmonella infection include:
Those more likely to experience sever symptoms include:
While most people do not need medical intervention and are not prescribed antibiotic treatment, those in the higher risk group are more likely to receive treatment.
In some cases, complications may arise from infection.
Most of the time Salmonella bacteria are limited to the intestinal tract. However, in some cases, the bacteria can breach the intestinal wall and enter the bloodstream capillaries and veins found there. When this happens, bacteria may infect the urinary tract, blood, bones, joints, and even the nervous system.
Common Salmonella complications include reactive arthritis, irritable bowel syndrome, and bacteremia that can affect other parts of the body.
Recalled product was grown by Bedner Growers, Inc. and distributed by Fresh Start Produce Sales, Inc. Potentially contaminated cucumbers were sent to retailers, distribution centers, wholesalers, and food service distributors.
Affect cucumbers include distribution dates between April 29, 2025 and May 19, 2025. Any other affected cucumbers “should be past shelf life and should no longer be available on the market.”
It may be difficult to identify recalled cucumbers. These potentially contaminated cucumbers may have been sold individually or even in smaller packages. Some may not even have a label indicating the exact brand, product name or best by date.
Distributors, restaurants, and retailers should refer to invoices. Affected products in these cases are labeled either “supers,” “selects,” or “plains.”
If you have recently purchased cucumbers and are unsure if they were produced by Bedner Growers, Inc, contact your place of purchase to verify or discard them.
If you may have been exposed to Salmonella from cucumbers, there are a few things that you can do to help your situation.
If you have purchased potentially contaminated cucumbers, you should disinfect anything that they may have come in contact with.
Disinfect your counters and refrigerator to prevent further bacterial spread. Be sure to wash your hands afterward.
If you begin having symptoms consistent with a Salmonella infection, seek medical attention right away. If you are not sick enough to need medical care, it is still a good idea to report your illness to your local health department.
This outbreak investigation involving Salmonella from cucumbers is ongoing. Outbreak investigators can use additional information to either narrow or broaden the food involved in this outbreak. Your data can help.
If you have become seriously ill due to Salmonella in cucumbers, it is a good idea to get advice from an experienced Salmonella Lawyer. A Salmonella lawyer can help answer questions you may have and even some that you have not thought about. They can help you get the resources you need to recover and help hold accountable those responsible for your illness.
If you have been impacted by this outbreak of Salmonella from cucumbers and wish to make a legal claim, The Lange Law Firm, PLLC has a Salmonella lawyer that can help.
The Lange Law Firm, PLLC has successfully represented cases just like yours and won millions of dollars in food poisoning and products liabilities lawsuits.
Reach out by calling (833) 330-3663 or send us an email for a free, no obligation consultation.
Don’t wait. Call today to get the justice you deserve!
By: Heather Van Tassell (contributing writer, non-lawyer)
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