Cucumbers recalled after at least 68 people fall ill with salmonella

A cucumber recall was issued in a salmonella outbreak that has sickened at least 68 people – including 18 who required hospitalization – across multiple states, including Washington, federal officials said.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Friday that the cucumbers were grown by Agrotato, S.A. de C.V. in Sonora, Mexico. The distributor, SunFed Produce of Rio Rico, Arizona, issued a voluntary recall, the Food and Drug Administration announced days earlier.

The CDC warned that the actual number of people sickened is probably higher because it can take three to four weeks to determine whether someone is part of an outbreak. The current data is based on reports between Oct. 12 and Nov. 16 from 19 states.

SunFed President Craig Slate said in statement that the company “immediately acted to protect consumers” as soon as it learned of the issue, and that it is working closely with authorities and growers to determine the cause. “We require all our growers to strictly comply with the FDA food safety requirements,” Slate said.

It’s the latest of several recalls over salmonella contamination this year, with outbreaks linked to Kirkland eggs sold at Costco and fresh basil from Trader Joe’s.

Salmonella is a bacterial infection that can cause fever, diarrhea and abdominal cramps, or arterial infections in severe cases, according to the FDA. It is particularly dangerous for children younger than 5, the elderly or those with weakened immune systems. Symptoms usually show up 12 to 72 hours after eating contaminated food.

According to the company’s announcement, the recalled cucumbers were distributed to grocers in 26 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 recalled cucumbers would carry a “SunFed” label marked “Mexico.” The FDA advised its customers to throw out any recalled cucumbers and sanitize any areas they may have touched.