Salmonella Outbreak Prompts Widespread Cucumber Recall

BY KARA SEYMOUR

Cucumbers linked to a fatal case of salmonella have caused infections in 27 states, including New York.

The recalled cucumbers, grown in Mexico and distributed by Andrew & Williamson Fresh Produce, have sickened 285 people in 27 states, including a woman in California who died from the illness, according to the California Department of Public Health.

Andrew & Williamson Fresh Produce, a San Diego-based company, initiated the recall of its “Limited Edition” brand of pole grown cucumbers. “The labeling on these cases indicates the product was grown and packed by Rancho Don Juanito in Mexico. These cucumbers were distributed between August 1 – September 3, 2015,” the California Department of Public Health said.

The cucumbers were shipped to 22 states. Eighteen of those states have reported infections. The cucumbers were not shipped directly to New York, but the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says “further distribution to other states may have occurred.”

That seems to be the case since as of Sept. 3, four people in New York have been infected by the salmonella outbreak, according to the CDC.

States that received the recalled cucumbers include: Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Idaho, Illinois, Kansas, Louisiana, Minnesota, Montana, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Carolina, Texas and Utah, Florida, Kentucky and Mississippi.

Click here to see pictures of the affected brands of cucumbers.

Health officials in California say it is unlikely that cucumbers in retail grocery stores will have any identifying brand information. “CDPH recommends that consumers check with their grocer to determine if the cucumbers they purchased are impacted by this warning,” California health officials said.

Domestically produced cucumbers are not involved in this outbreak, according to health officials.