FDA Expands Cucumber Recall Across U.S. and Canada After Salmonella Outbreak
On Nov. 27, the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) announced that SunFed Produce, LLC (SunFed) is recalling all sizes of whole fresh American cucumbers due to potential salmonella contamination. The cucumbers were packaged in bulk containers and sold individually through retailers as well as in bulk to food service outlets. The recall was initiated after the FDA notified SunFed that the cucumbers were found to be connected to cases of salmonellosis illness reported between Oct. 12 and Nov. 15, 2024. As of Nov. 26, 68 people have been infected, and 18 have been hospitalized.
The recalled cucumbers were sold to consumers located in the states of 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. They were also shipped to the Canadian provinces of Alberta, British Columbia, Calgary, Saskatchewan, and Ontario.
On Nov. 29, the FDA announced an expansion to the recall from Baloian Farms of Arizona Co., Inc. that now also includes bulk cucumbers supplied by SunFed Produce to Baloian. The whole fresh American cucumbers were shipped to customers in California, Arizona, Texas, Michigan, Montana, North Carolina, Colorado, Kansas, New York, Massachusetts, Idaho, Oregon, Washington, Nevada, Iowa, Missouri, Wisconsin, Alaska, Alberta, and British Columbia. The FDA notes the produce may have reached consumers located in other U.S. states and Canadian provinces through food service and retail outlets.
How to Identify the Recalled Cucumbers
The recalled cucumbers were sold between Oct. 12, 2024, and Nov. 26, 2024. The cucumbers are labeled with the SunFed brand label, the “Pamela” brand 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.” Baloian’s notice also lists clear PamPak branded bags of six individual cucumbers with the UPC 8 2540107010 6.
The individually sold cucumbers at retailers should have a UPC sticker that says “SunFed,” the place of origin listed as Mexico/Mexique, and the PLU #4062. American cucumbers are the variety commonly sold as slicing cucumbers in stores.
Photos of the bulk boxes and the individually sold produce with their identifying markers are available on the FDA’s recall page. Additional photos from the updated list can be found here.
Updated Product List Affected By Cucumber Recall
As of Dec. 5, the FDA added the following products to the recall, relating to the original outbreak investigation:
Russ Davis Recall: Multiple products (labels here) distributed to food service and retail customers in Iowa, Illinois, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, North Dakota, Nebraska, South Dakota, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.
Walmart Recall: Marketside Fresh Cut Cucumber Slices distributed to retail customers in Texas.
JFE Recall (Snowfox and Snowfruit brands): Cucumber products distributed to Kroger retail stores in Arizona, Colorado, Louisiana, Texas, and Wyoming.
Supreme Produce Recall: Cucumber products distributed to Kroger and King Soopers retail stores in Colorado and Texas.
Yummi Sushi Recall: Cucumber products distributed to Kroger retail stores in Texas.
What To Do if You’ve Purchased the Recalled Cucumbers
Do not consume the cucumbers and sanitize any surface that may have come in contact with the recalled product to avoid cross-contamination. Throw the cucumbers away or return to the place of purchase. If you are unsure if you have the recalled cucumbers, call the retailer you purchased them from or throw them away out of an abundance of caution.
Questions about this recall can be directed to SunFed’s recall hotline, which is open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. MST at 888-542-5849. Alternately, Baloian’s customer service desk can be reached at 888-840-6642, Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. EST.
For more information on salmonella, including symptoms, visit the CDC salmonella information page.
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