ⓒ The Daily News
SunFed Produce, LLC, based in Arizona, has voluntarily recalled cucumbers sold between October 12th and November 26th, 2024, due to potential Salmonella contamination. The recall affects 26 states and five Canadian provinces, including Massachusetts. The cucumbers were packaged in bulk cardboard containers labeled “SunFed,” or in generic white boxes or black plastic crates.
As of November 28th, 68 individuals across 19 states have reported illnesses linked to the cucumbers, with at least 18 hospitalizations. The FDA’s investigation revealed that 82% of those interviewed reported consuming cucumbers prior to their illness. No deaths have been reported.
Symptoms of Salmonella infection can include fever, diarrhea (possibly bloody), nausea, vomiting, and abdominal pain. Symptoms typically appear within six hours to six days of infection and last four to seven days. Consumers who have purchased SunFed cucumbers are urged to discard them immediately and sanitize any surfaces they may have come into contact with.
The FDA advises consumers to check if they possess any of the recalled cucumbers. If so, they should immediately dispose of them and contact their healthcare provider if they are experiencing symptoms. A recall hotline (888) 542-5849 is available for inquiries, Monday through Friday, from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. EST.
The recalled cucumbers were distributed across a wide range of states and Canadian provinces, including 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, as well as the Canadian provinces of Alberta, British Columbia, Calgary, Saskatchewan, and Ontario. However, the FDA states that food service and retail outlets outside these areas may also have sold the affected cucumbers.
This recall follows a similar incident over the summer, where Salmonella-contaminated cucumbers linked to Florida farms resulted in 551 illnesses across 34 states.