On May 31, 2024, Fresh Start Produce said in a statement from the FDA that they’re recalling “whole cucumbers” sent to stores and restaurants in certain states. This happened because a sample tested positive for Salmonella in Pennsylvania.
Cucumbers sent to 14 states are being called back because they might have Salmonella on them.
The FDA is looking into whether a sample they have is part of a current investigation into Salmonella. The states affected are: Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Maryland, North Carolina, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia. The cucumbers they’re recalling are dark green, about 1 ½ to 2 inches wide, and 5 to 9 inches long.
Fresh Start Produce says it’s unlikely that these cucumbers are still being sold, but if anyone has them, they shouldn’t eat them. They should throw them away or return them to where they bought them for a refund.
The company has asked stores to remove these cucumbers from their shelves.
The FDA is also checking if this sample is connected to a Salmonella outbreak they’re investigating.
Salmonella can make you sick with fever, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, and stomach pain. It can be really bad for kids, old people, and those with weak immune systems. But some people don’t show any symptoms, and most healthy people get better within a week without needing special treatment.
“In rare circumstances, infection with Salmonella can result in the organism getting into the bloodstream and producing more severe illnesses such as arterial infections (i.e., infected aneurysms), endocarditis and arthritis,” Fresh Start Produce said.
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Earlier in April, Trader Joe’s recalled its Infinite Herbs Organic Basil in some states after reports of people getting sick from Salmonella linked to it. The CDC and FDA said that 12 people across seven states got sick from this Salmonella outbreak.
Seven out of eight people who got sick remembered buying the basil from Trader Joe’s before they got ill.