Tips to help manage food recalls and prevent foodborne illnesses
About 128,000 are hospitalized and 3,000 people die each year from preventable foodborne illnesses.
Payton, USA TODAY
Major grocery stores are recalling cucumbers and cucumber products in the wake of a salmonella outbreak that has sickened 26 people across 15 states.
Cucumbers grown by Florida-based Bedner Growers and distributed by Fresh Start Produce Sales were linked to the outbreak and voluntarily recalled in an initial notice shared by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on May 19. This first recall concerned produce sold directly to consumers at Bednar’s Farm Fresh Market.
Additional recalls have since been initiated by companies that use Bedner Growers cucumbers in their products or that repackage the cucumbers for resale under different brand names. Some of these are sold at stores like Harris Teeter, Walmart and Kroger, which have since issued their own warnings about impacted products.
Here’s what to know about cucumbers that are part of the salmonella-linked recall so far.
Which cucumbers and products are recalled?
PennRose Farms
Florida-based PennRose Farms recalled 1,152 cases of cucumbers supplied to them from Fresh Start Produce Sales in a notice on May 21. The cucumbers were repackaged in five-pound mesh bags between May 2 and May 5, with Restaurant Depot and PennRose Farms logos, UPC code 841214101714 and lot numbers (48-122, 48-123, 48-124, 48-125). They were sent to Restaurant Depot distribution centers in New Jersey, Georgia, Florida, Illinois and Ohio.
Harris Teeter
Grocery store chain Harris Teeter issued its own recall on May 20 for the cucumbers themselves and vegetable trays that contain them. Cucumbers with UPC 2040620000, large vegetable trays with UPC 7203689327 and small vegetable trays with UPC 7203689328 are included in the recall.
Kroger
Some products sold at Kroger are also affected, specifically Yummi Sush-branded products, which were recalled with the help of Supreme Service Solutions LLC on May 20. A full list of the about 50 products being recalled, all of which are sushi rolls or platters with veggies, is available below and on the FDA website.
Ukrop’s Homestyle Foods
Ukrop’s Homestyle Foods, LLC, also issued a related recall on May 21 of cucumber salad products sold at stores including Food Lion Stores in Virginia and North Carolina; Harris Teeter in Williamsburg, VA; Kroger Stores in Virginia, West Virginia, Ohio and Kentucky; Libbie Market in Richmond, VA; and Ukrop’s Market Hall in Richmond, VA.
The recalled products include 16-oz, 32-oz and bulk 5-lb packages of marinated cucumber salad with sell-by dates of 5/11/25 through 5/26/25.
Walmart
On May 22, Walmart recalled Marketside cucumber products in select stores located in Texas between May 13th, 2025, and May 20th, 2025. The recall includes Marketside Fresh Cut Cucumber Slices with UPC 62969 and all date codes up to 5/24/2025.
What states are affected by the salmonella outbreak?
As of May 20, the salmonella outbreak linked to cucumbers has sickened 26 people in the following 15 states:
- Alabama
- California
- Colorado
- Florida
- Illinois
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Michigan
- North Carolina
- New York
- Ohio
- Pennsylvania
- South Carolina
- Tennessee
- Virginia
What to do if you think you may have recalled cucumbers
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) advises anyone with cucumbers at home to throw them if they’re unsure where they’re from. Businesses are advised not to sell the produce and to notify customers who may have consumed them before the recall.
Those who purchased recalled products from any of the above-listed grocery stores like Walmart, Kroger and Harris Teeter can bring them back to the store of sale for a refund.
Additionally, the FDA recommends that consumers and businesses wash and sanitize surfaces and items that may have touched cucumbers. At home, wash surfaces using hot, soapy water or a dishwasher.
