The Rhode Island Department of Health (RIDOH) is advising consumers that Bedner Growers, Inc., voluntarily recalled cucumbers sold at Bedner's Farm Fresh Market between April 29, 2025, and May 14, 2025, and businesses should not sell or serve the recalled cucumbers. These products are associated with a multi-state salmonella outbreak. Currently, there are no Rhode Island cases associated with this recall.
PRODUCT Cucumbers grown by Bedner Growers, Inc., and distributed by Fresh Start Produce Sales, Inc., to retailers, distribution centers, wholesalers, and food service distributors from April 29, 2025, to May 19, 2025. Cucumbers distributed before this timeframe should be past shelf life and should no longer be available on the market.
Cucumbers may have been sold individually or in smaller packages, with or without a label that may not bear the same brand, product name, or best by date. For distributors, restaurants, and retailers who have purchased these cucumbers, the products were labeled as either being "supers," "selects," or "plains".
On May 19, 2025, Bedner Growers, Inc., recalled cucumbers sold directly to consumers at Bedner's Farm Fresh Market and to its wholesale distributor. More information can be found in the recall notice.
SYMPTOMS OF SALMONELLA INFECTION Illness usually occurs within 12 to 72 hours after eating food that is contaminated with Salmonella, and the symptoms usually last four to seven days. Symptoms include diarrhea, fever, and abdominal cramps. Children younger than five, the elderly, and people with weakened immune systems are more likely to have severe infections.
STORES AFFECTED Some potentially contaminated cucumbers were available at Bedner's Farm Fresh Market in three Florida locations including Boynton Beach, Delray Beach, and West Palm Beach between April 29, 2025, and May 14, 2025. The recalled cucumbers were also sold to its wholesale distributor. FDA is aware that contaminated product is available at both restaurant and retail locations. FDA is working to determine where potentially contaminated product was distributed.
RECOMMENDATIONS --Consumers: If you cannot tell if your cucumber was grown by Bedner Growers, throw it away. When eating out over the next week, ask if cucumbers were from Bedner Growers or Fresh Start Produce Sales, Inc. --Consumers, restaurants, and retailers who purchased or received potentially contaminated products, including wholesale products, should carefully clean and sanitize any surfaces or containers that it touched. Follow FDA's safe handling and cleaning advice to reduce the risk of cross-contamination. --Contact your healthcare provider if you think you may have symptoms of a Salmonella infection after eating potentially contaminated cucumbers. --Restaurants, retailers, and distributors that purchased potentially contaminated recalled cucumbers between April 29, 2025, and May 19, 2025, should notify their customers of the potential health concern. --Retailers that have or had potentially contaminated product should clean and sanitize any areas that could have come into contact with potentially contaminated products. If potentially contaminated cucumbers were sold in bulk bins or displays, retailers should discard the contents of the bins and use extra care to clean and sanitize the bins before refilling. --Retailers that are unsure if they received this product may need to contact their supplier. If you are unable to determine whether or not potentially contaminated product was received, you should discard the contents of the bins and use extra care to clean and sanitize the bins before refilling.
More information regarding this outbreak can be found here: https://www.fda.gov/food/outbreaks-foodborne-illness/outbreak-investigation-salmonella-cucumbers-may-2025
###