Cucumbers sold in 26 U.S. states and five Canadian provinces have been recalled following reports of illnesses caused by Salmonella contamination.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a notice on Thanksgiving Day warning consumers that they “should not consume” or otherwise use SunFed brand bulk American cucumbers that have been recalled the day before.
The cucumbers were sold in bulk cardboard containers with a “SunFed” label and in generic white boxes and black plastic crates featuring a sticker with the text “Agrotato, SA de CV”, which is the name of the grower .
The recall is in effect for the following states: 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 Canadian provinces of Alberta, British Columbia, Calgary, Saskatchewan and Ontario are also part of the recall. All recalled cucumbers were sold in the United States and Canada between October 12 and November 26.
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Consumers who purchased the cucumbers must throw them away, destroy them or return them to their point of purchase for a refund.
“Any person who has the recalled product in their possession should not consume, serve, use, sell or distribute the recalled products,” the notice states. “We also encourage them to clean and disinfect surfaces that may have come into contact with the recalled product to reduce cross-contamination.”
Consumers with additional questions can contact Sunfed by telephone at 888-542-5849 Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Mountain Standard Time.
SunFed said the recall was initiated after the FDA informed the company that cucumbers had sickened an unspecified number of people between Oct. 12 and Nov. 15.
News week contacted the FDA for comment via email on Thursday.
“As soon as we became aware of this issue, we immediately took action to protect consumers. We are working closely with authorities and the ranch involved to determine the possible cause,” SunFed President Craig Slate said in a press release.
“At SunFed, food safety and consumer health and well-being have been our priorities for more than 30 years,” he added. “We require all of our producers to strictly comply with FDA food safety requirements.”
Although it is not clear how many people got sick from cucumbers or where the illnesses occurred, Salmonella is the most common cause of food poisoning in the United States. SunFed said those who have “consumed a recalled product and do not feel well” should consult their health care provider.
What to expect if you get salmonella poisoning?
Consuming Salmonella-Contaminated food can lead to an infection known as salmonellosis, which usually appears between six hours and six days after consumption and usually lasts four to seven days, according to the U.S. Food Safety and Inspection Service.
Salmonellosis includes symptoms such as abdominal cramps, diarrhea that may be bloody, and fever. Severe cases, which can be fatal and are more likely to occur in children, the elderly or people with weakened immune systems, include a range of other symptoms involving the joints and nervous system.
