An Arizona produce company is recalling its fresh, whole cucumbers of all sizes in 26 states and parts of Canada because they could be contaminated with salmonella, the company said.
The company SunFed said in an announcement posted online Thursday by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) that cucumbers it sold from Oct. 12 to Nov. 26 were recalled due to potential contamination.
Salmonella can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems.
The cucumbers were packaged in bulk cardboard containers marked with the SunFed label, in generic white or black plastic boxes with stickers with the producer’s name, according to the company.
Products were distributed 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.
They were also sold in parts of Canada, including the provinces of Alberta, British Columbia, Calgary, Ontario and Saskatchewan.
SunFed added that the affected cucumbers would have reached consumers through food service and retail outlets that may be located in states other than those listed.
“As soon as we learned of this matter, we acted immediately to protect consumers,” SunFed President Craig Slate said in a statement. “We are working closely with authorities and the ranch involved to determine the possible cause.”
SunFed urged consumers to check whether their cucumbers matched those recalled and to avoid consuming or distributing any suspicious products. They advised customers to throw them away if they were suspicious.
More cucumbers were also recalled earlier this year in South Florida, where at least 551 people were likely sickened by salmonella and 155 were hospitalized.
Many of the recalled cucumbers were linked to Bedner Growers Inc. and Thomas Produce Co., both in Palm Beach County, Florida, according to the FDA. Thomas denied that their products were directly related.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that salmonella causes about 1.35 million infections in the United States each year.
