At Least 68 People Across 19 States Sickened in Salmonella Outbreak Linked to Cucumbers
The affected cucumbers are from SunFed Produce.
Yuliia Kokosha/Getty Images
Please check your fridge shelves and vegetable crispers. (Yes, again.) Cucumbers sold at retailers in multiple U.S. states as well as Canada are being recalled because they have been linked to a Salmonella outbreak that has sickened at least 68 people in 19 states, landing 18 of those sickened in the hospital. To date, no deaths have been linked to the outbreak.
The recall was issued on November 27 by SunFed Produce, which listed “all sizes of whole fresh American cucumbers” grown by Agrotato, S.A. de C.V. in Sonora, Mexico that it had packaged and sold in bulk to retail and food-service establishments.
The affected cucumbers were sold between October 12 and November 26, 2024, under a “SunFed” label or in a “generic white box or black plastic crate with a sticker that provides the implicated grower's name, ‘Agrotato, S.A. de C.V.,’” according to a food safety alert posted by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
The cucumbers may also carry a “SunFed Mexico” sticker on them. If you find yourself in possession of any of the recalled cucumbers — or bought cucumbers within the October 12 to November 26 time window and don’t know where they are from — you are advised not to eat them, to throw them away or return them to the store where you purchased them.
Photo courtesy of U.S. Food and Drug Administration
You are further advised to wash any items or surfaces with which the cucumbers may have come into contact in hot, soapy water or a dishwasher.
For most people, symptoms of Salmonella, including diarrhea, fever and stomach cramps, begin anywhere from six hours to six days after infection and resolve without treatment after about four to seven days. Some people, however, experience severe symptoms that may require medical care or hospitalization. Children younger than five, adults 65 and up, and those with weakened immune systems may be particularly vulnerable to severe illness.
Anyone who experiences severe symptoms or is concerned that they have been sickened in the outbreak should contact a healthcare provider.
Illnesses related to the outbreak have been reported in Alaska (one person sickened), California (one), Colorado (eight), Iowa (two), Illinois (two), Massachusetts (five), Montana (16), Nebraska (one), New Jersey (one), New York (one), Ohio (one), Oregon (seven), Pennsylvania (one), South Dakota (four), Texas (five), Utah (two), Washington (five), Wisconsin (three) and Wyoming (two).
Because it can take a few weeks to link an illness to an outbreak and because people often recover without medical care, “the true number of sick people in this outbreak is … likely much higher than the number reported,” the CDC says.
The cucumbers may also have been shipped to additional states, including Arizona, Arkansas, Connecticut, Florida, Idaho, Indiana, Kansas, Maryland, Minnesota, Missouri, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Tennessee and Virginia, according to the FDA.
SunFed says it is working to contact retailers to alert them of the issue. The FDA has categorized its investigation as “ongoing.”
Walmart, Wegmans, Costco and Albertsons have all alerted customers that they may have carried the recalled cucumbers at some of their locations, according to USA Today.
“As soon as we learned of this issue, we immediately acted to protect consumers,” Craig Slate, president of SunFed, says in the recall announcement. “We are working closely with authorities and the implicated ranch to determine the possible cause.”
Questions can be directed to SunFed’s recall hotline: (888) 542-5849.
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