Think Twice Before Eating That Cucumber

Update: The FDA has now issued an alert on all cucumbers originating from Rancho Don Juanito de R.L. de C.V. located in Baja, Mexico. An investigation by the FDA has indicated that the cucumbers from this farm carry the salmonella bacteria and were the primary source of cucumbers for Andrew and Williamson Fresh Produce. As of the latest update from the CDC, 732 people have been infected from 35 states. Of these individuals, 150 were hospitalized, and four have died.

Quick — take a look at the cucumbers in your fridge, because a large batch of them has just been recalled for possibly causing a salmonella outbreak in many states.

The US Food and Drug Administration reports that produce company Andrew and Williamson Fresh Produce has voluntarily recalled all cucumbers sold under the Limited Edition label from Aug. 1 through Sept. 3. These cucumbers have been possibly linked with a salmonella outbreak that has sickened almost 300 people in 27 states. Health officials are also linking the salmonella outbreak to the death of an elderly woman in August, and one woman in Minnesota is suing the produce company after allegedly falling sick from eating a Red Lobster salad (Red Lobster has released a statement regarding the lawsuit, saying in part: "Out of an abundance of caution, we removed all cucumbers from our restaurants and discontinued their use prior to the opening of business on Friday, September 4." The restaurant also added that the affected cucumbers were only served on one menu item in a one-ounce portion and served in fewer than one-third of their 705 locations.)

The Limited Edition cucumbers were grown in Mexico and distributed in Alaska, Arkansas, Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Idaho, Illinois, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Minnesota, Montana, New Jersey, New Mexico, Nevada, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Carolina, Texas, and Utah. The dark-green cucumbers were labeled as "Limited Edition Pole Grown Cucumbers" and shipped in green, black, yellow, or craft-colored cartons.

This scary salmonella news is not the first time we've had to check our vegetables this Summer. In August, the FDA announced a partial ban on cilantro for similarly icky reasons — inspectors found human feces and toilet paper among the Mexican-grown crops.