FDA Sends Bedner Growers Warning Letter in Response to Spring Cucumber Outbreak, Company Responses Inadequate

The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) sends an updated Bedner Growers warning letter in response to inadequate responses referencing the 2025 cucumber-linked Salmonella outbreak. The same farm and processing facility responsible for the massive Salmonella outbreak the year before.

This warning letter requires responses that will hopefully prevent history from repeating itself in 2026.

What is a warning letter? What prompted this Bedner Growers Warning Letter?  How can this help prevent a future Salmonella outbreak from originating at this farm?

Let’s explore what is going on surrounding this Bedner Growers Warning Letter!

What Exactly IS a Warning Letter and What Does It Do?

Warning Letters are used by the FDA to communicate violations of the Federal, Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, and are the agency’s primary mode of gaining prompt voluntary compliance with the Act. What most people don’t know, is that these Warning Letters are available to the public at the FDA website.

In this case, the letters are meant to engage the farm to perform effective root cause investigations, cleaning and sanitation activities, and corrective actions that will work. It appears, based on the public document, that what Bedner Growers has done thus far has not been adequate.

Both during and after the outbreak.

Each bullet point indicates ineffectiveness or failures to correct concerns previously presented by the FDA.

According to the documents, the FDA intends to exercise their full legal enforcement powers if appropriate action does not occur.

“Failure to adequately address this matter may result in legal action including, without limitation, seizure, injunction, or administrative action if criteria and conditions warrant.”

This letter comes with a countdown clock.

“Mr. Bedner” must respond to the Bedner Growers Warning Letter within fifteen working days of the letter’s receipt.

What Prompted This Bedner Growers Warning Letter?

The FDA isn’t just selecting farms at random. Bedner Growers was sent a Warning Letter in response to back-to-back Salmonella outbreaks linked to the farm.

In 2025, the FDA and CDC investigated a Salmonella Montevideo outbreak that was linked to cucumbers grown by Bedner Growers. When the outbreak came to a close June 30, 2025 at least 69 people had been infected with the outbreak strain of Salmonella across 21 states. At least 22 people were hospitalized.

An even bigger outbreak in 2024 sickened at least 551 people across 34 states and the District of Columbia. This time, two Salmonella strains were found in outbreak patients. Salmonella Africana and Salmonella Braenderup. At least 155 people were hospitalized.

The FDA wants to prevent future Salmonella outbreaks originating from this farm. Proactive, corrective, and preventative measures are necessary to ensure this.

What Was in the Bedner Growers Warning Letter?

This letter summarizes traceback activities that directed the FDA investigation to the Bedner Growers farm and cucumber processing facility. The outbreak strains were identified in both locations.

Primary concerns surrounded the inadequate responses to the following inquiries:

• The FDA requested information about environmental samples (including soil, leaf tissue, equipment, product, and water). None of the required details were submitted. Nor were the results. Things like rationale for collection, how the samples were collected, the types of laboratory analysis, or the results of those tests. The FDA also wanted to know if sampling and testing efforts will continue during the 2026 growing and harvesting season.
• While 3^rd parting sampling evidence was submitted via a letter from the University of Florida, that supporting evidence was also insufficient. The report indicated that sampling took place after the cucumber line was cleaned and sanitized. But details about how the line was sanitized and if this is representative of a normal process. More information was requested. As Salmonella was found on food contact surfaces, regular corrective actions were deemed inadequate.

Several other statements were included in the Bedner Growers Warning Letter. However, due to redacted information not released to the public, those deficiencies were unclear.

Bedner Growers Indicates Farm Closure, But FDA Wants More Details

In a letter to the FDA, Bedner Growers indicated that the 2025 growing season has ended and that they will not be renewing land leases for the 2026 growing season. The company stated that they will not be growing produce for wholesale distribution. However, the FDA requested clarification.

“You did not provide information regarding whether you will continue to grow on land that is not leased (other properties), whether your land leases could potentially be renewed after 2026, whether you will continue to grow for retail distribution, or what your plans are for your cucumber packing line, where we detected the 2025 outbreak strain of Salmonella Montevideo.”

In other words, the FDA wants to ensure that the land and the processing facility have undergone effective corrective actions before they are allowed to sell to the public. Requesting this specific information closes some perceived loopholes that might allow the farm to go dormant for a season or two and reopen after the proverbial dust has settled. Without fully addressing a potentially recurrent Salmonella issue.

Could We See Another Cucumber Outbreak in 2026?

It seems that every year we see a cucumber outbreak. Could we see another cucumber outbreak in 2026?

The FDA is working to ensure that the risks are minimal when it comes to Bedner Growers. That, after all, is the reason for the Bedner Growers Warning Letter and subsequent follow-up. Especially after the country experienced a multi-state outbreak in 2025 after the massive one in 2024.

However, only time will tell.

Growing produce for public consumption is more than planting seeds, watering them, and harvesting. You have people, trucks, processing facilities, and all the other touch points in the supply chain. So many places for things to go wrong. For Salmonella to enter the picture. For bacteria to grow and spread.

The FDA continues to monitor produce. The CDC continues to monitor human illnesses. But consumers can also do their part to reduce their risk.

Reduce Your Risk of Salmonella from Cucumbers

Reducing your risk of Salmonella (or any other foodborne germ) from cucumbers (and all produce) starts with prevention. While there is only so much that you can do. Something is certainly better than nothing.

Wash Your Hands

You wouldn’t fold laundry with mud covered hands. Don’t prepare or eat food without washing your grubby mits. Even if your hands appear clean, harmful germs could be transferred from any number of surfaces. Always wash your hands before you prepare food or eat. Wash your hands when you touch raw meat. Wash your hands after using the bathroom, helping someone in the bathroom, or changing a diaper. Just wash your hands. Please!

Thoroughly Wash Produce

Just like your hands, that cucumber or apple might look clean. But germs are much smaller than our eyes can detect. Scrub produce under running water. Even food that you do not intend to eat the rind or skin. Things like oranges and avocados. Even food that seems inconvenient. Things like melons. If you cut into the fruit, you will drag bacteria from the surface through the flesh. It might seem crazy, but you and your family’s health is worth it!

Refrigerate Cut Produce

Certain produce can be safely left on the counter when whole. Things change once you cut into them though. Always refrigerate cut produce as soon as possible. Once cut, you must consider “the danger zone” time clock.

Food left between 40 °F and 140 °F are susceptible to rapidly multiplying bacteria. Discard food left between those temperatures for more than two hours (one hour if ambient temperature is above 90 °F).

Have You Been Impacted by A Salmonella Outbreak Linked to Cucumbers?

If you have been impacted by a Salmonella outbreak linked to cucumbers and wish to make a legal claim, The Lange Law Firm, PLLC has a Salmonella lawyer that can help.

The experienced lawyers at The Lange Law Firm, PLLC work hard to hold those responsible for foodborne illnesses accountable.

Reach out by calling (833) 330-3663 or send us an email for a free, no obligation consultation to go over the details of your situation.

By: Heather Van Tassell (contributing writer, non-lawyer)