Stay up-to-date on the latest food retail news and trends
Subscribe to free eNewsletters from Supermarket News
Sponsored By
Cucumbers in 26 states are feared to be contaminated with salmonella
The whole cukes were grown in Mexico and imported into the United States by a company called SunFed; authorities are investigating whether other importers may have also carried the product
2 Min Read
The affected cucumbers are whole specimens intended for slicing.Getty Images
The U.S. Food & Drug Administration is advising restaurants and foodservice distributors to check the source of their cucumbers after a Mexican importer discovered its shipments into the United States may have been contaminated with salmonella.
The cukes are full-sized, sliceable specimens grown by Agrotato S.A. in the Mexican state of Sonora. The vegetables were sold in 26 U.S. states by the importer SunFed Produce. The FDA says the potentially poisonous cucumbers may have been imported into the U.S. by other companies as well but has yet to identify those potential sources.
The SunFed products were shipped in bulk cardboard containers subdivided into white boxes or black plastic crates. The wholesale packages may bear a stamp reading “Agrotato, S.A. de C.V.”
The safety agency said 68 people had been sickened by the salmonella bacteria as of Friday and 18 of the victims required hospitalization. The Agrogato cucumbers were sold between Oct. 12 and Nov. 26.
The produce had been shipped to Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Missouri, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington and Wisconsin.
The outbreak, revealed during the Thanksgiving holiday, is the latest in what’s been a recent spate of food contaminations affecting restaurants. Federal food-safety officials have announced recalls involving ground beef, onions, eggs and domestically grown cucumbers.
Salmonella can cause diarrhea, abdominal cramps and fever over a 72-hour period. The symptoms can be life-threatening for children under age 5, the elderly and persons with compromised immune systems.
The FDA also announced a recall of vegetable medley products and organic whole carrots because they could potentially be contaminated by a strain of E. coli which could produce severe symptoms.
4Earth Farms, based in Commerce, Calif., recalled bags of Organic Vegetable Medley and Conventional Vegetable Medley due to the threat of the presence of the Shiga toxin-producing E. coli.
Walmart, United Natural Food Inc., Sprouts Farmers Market, and other grocers sell the products.
Symptoms include severe stomach cramps, diarrhea or bloody diarrhea, fever, nausea, and vomiting. The incubation period ranges from 24 hours to 10 days.
No illnesses have been reported.
The products carry Best By dates of Sept. 7 through Nov. 2, 2024.
The cucumber recall story was originally featured on Restaurant Business, a sister publication of Supermarket News.
About the Author
You May Also Like
