Salmonella Outbreak From Cucumbers Hits 2 Major Chains
A May 2025 salmonella outbreak linked to cucumbers from Florida-based Bedner Growers, Inc, has expanded, going from impacting 26 people in 15 states to now affecting 45 people in 18 states, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration: Alabama, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Michigan, North Carolina, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia. There have been 16 hospitalizations but thankfully no deaths reported so far. The cucumbers were distributed by Fresh Start Produce Sales, Inc., of Delray, Florida, and now Walmart and Target have issued recalls on products that could be possibly tainted by the cucumbers.
The Target recall (see the full list here) includes a variety of sushi rolls and tempura sold under the Mai brand, plus Lemon Pepper Greek-Style Chicken Salad from Target’s Good & Gather brand, Boar’s Head Lemon Pepper Greek-Style Chicken Salad, and individual raw cucumbers. Walmart is recalling Marketside Fresh Cut Cucumber Slices produced in select stores located in Texas, as well as any Bedner’s cucumbers from when the outbreak was first announced.
While the focus has been on the Salmonella Montevideo strain, the FDA says multiple other strains—so far unrelated to the outbreak—were detected in samples taken from a Bedner Growers distribution center in Pennsylvania. “CDC is working to determine if additional human illnesses match these additional strains,” the FDA said in a statement. “Further analysis of the sample is pending.”
The CDC is advising anyone who suspects they might still have the cucumbers to throw them out (although the recalled cucumbers should no longer be for sale). “Cucumbers may have been sold individually or in smaller packages and the types could be labeled as ‘supers,’ ‘selects,’ or ‘plains’. These cucumbers are not organic varieties,” says the CDC. “If you have cucumbers at home and can’t tell where they are from, throw them away.”
Cucumbers being sold by Bedner’s Farm Fresh Markets after May 14, 2025 are not subject to the recall, nor are any other agricultural products sold by the company, says the CDC. No cucumbers currently available for sale at Bedner’s Farm Fresh Markets were grown by Bedner Growers as the growing season has concluded.
So what signs of salmonella should people watch out for? “Fever, stomach cramps and diarrhea that can be bloody are typical. Nausea, vomiting and headaches can also occur. Symptoms usually start within several hours but can take a few days to appear,” says Liz Weinandy, RD, of The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center. “Most people recover just fine and don’t need antibiotics. High-risk groups such as the elderly or immunocompromised may need more treatment than the usual rest and fluids.”
Weinandy says if symptoms continue, see a doctor. “If you have really severe diarrhea or can’t stop throwing up, you should contact your health care practitioner since you may become dehydrated or the bacteria can pass from the intestines into the bloodstream. Once it passes into the bloodstream, the infection is very serious.”
