Recalls

Recalled cucumbers linked to at least 449 illnesses have been pulled from stores, CDC says

The cucumbers may have been exposed to untreated canal water in South Florida.

Recall alert - cucumbers
CDC

At least 449 people were likely sickened by cucumbers tainted with Salmonella bacteria, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Wednesday.

Since June, the agency has been investigating an outbreak linked to cucumbers originating with producers in Florida. In its latest update, it said individuals in 31 states and the District of Columbia reported becoming ill after eating affected cucumbers, with 125 ending up hospitalized, though no deaths were reported.

The agency still lists its investigation as active β€” but it emphasized that there are no more affected products in stores and that there is "likely no ongoing risk to the public."

In a separate release, the Food and Drug Administration said it had matched Salmonella strains found in untreated canal water near Bedner Growers, Inc., of Palm Beach County, Florida, to ones that comprise the outbreak β€” but that the grower "does not account for all the illnesses in this outbreak."

A representative for Bedners did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Another Palm Beach County grower, Thomas Produce Company, also supplied cucumbers linked to the outbreak, the FDA said. A representative for Thomas did not respond to a request for comment.

Earlier, the investigation prompted a Florida distributor, Fresh Start Produce, to recall all its cucumbers grown in Florida. However, a subsequent finding determined the strain of Salmonella found in a sampling of its product did not match the ones linked to the outbreak.

A representative for Fresh Start Produce did not respond to a request for comment.

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