Ohio, Pennsylvania residents warned amid cucumber salmonella outbreak

Cucumbers grown by a Florida farm and distributed to states including Ohio and Pennsylvania are linked to a Salmonella outbreak that has now sickened at least 26 people across 15 states, federal health officials announced Monday.

The Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are investigating the outbreak of Salmonella Montevideo infections tied to cucumbers from Bedner Growers Inc. of Boynton Beach, Florida, and distributed by Fresh Start Produce Sales Inc. of Delray, Florida.

Nine people have been hospitalized in the outbreak, which has not caused any deaths, according to the FDA. The last reported illness began on April 28, 2025.

The FDA's investigation found Salmonella in an environmental sample collected from Bedner Growers Inc. in April. That sample matched Salmonella found in sick individuals through genetic testing. This inspection was a follow-up to previous Salmonella outbreaks in 2024 also linked to cucumbers from the same grower.

Cucumbers distributed between April 29, 2025, and May 19, 2025, are potentially contaminated. These cucumbers may have been sold individually or in packages without a specific brand or "best by" date. For distributors, restaurants, and retailers, the affected cucumbers were labeled as "supers," "selects," or "plains."

Symptoms of Salmonella infection typically appear 12 to 72 hours after eating contaminated food and can last four to seven days. They include diarrhea, fever, and abdominal cramps. Young children, the elderly, and those with weakened immune systems are more vulnerable to severe illness.

The FDA advises restaurants, retailers, and distributors that purchased these cucumbers to inform their customers of the potential health risk. Retailers should also clean and sanitize any areas that may have come into contact with the affected produce. Consumers who cannot determine if their cucumbers were from Bedner Growers or Fresh Start Produce Sales Inc. should throw them away. When dining out, consumers are encouraged to ask if cucumbers are from the implicated suppliers.

The investigation is ongoing, and the FDA said it will provide more information as it becomes available.