Urgent cucumber recall as salmonella sickens dozens of people in 26 states

Cucumbers have been recalled from major retailers because they may be contaminated with deadly bacteria.

SunFed Produce, LLC has withdrawn its fresh whole cucumbers of all sizes over fears they contain salmonella bacteria, which hospitalizes 26,000 Americans each year.

The recall includes SunFed cucumbers sold in 26 states and five Canadian provinces, according to the FDA. The affected products were sold in Walmart, Wegmans and Albertsons stores.

According to the CDC, there have been 68 illnesses and 18 hospitalizations. No deaths have been reported.

If you have purchased affected products, the FDA recommends throwing them away and cleaning counters where products may come into contact to prevent cross-contamination (stock image)

The affected products were sold in the following states, the FDA said: 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 the Canadian provinces of Alberta, British Columbia, Calgary, Saskatchewan and Ontario.

The cucumbers were sold to companies that resell or redistribute products to foodservice retailers. Arizona-based SunFed said it is contacting buyers to notify them of the recall of the cucumbers, which were sold in cardboard bulk containers with the “SunFed” label or in a plastic crate with a sticker identifying the grower in Mexico identifies: ‘Agrotato, SA de CV’

The affected cucumbers were sold between October 12 and November 15.

SunFed President Craig Slate said in a statement: “As soon as we learned of this issue, we took immediate action to protect consumers.

“We are working closely with authorities and the ranch involved to determine the possible cause.”

Walmart, Wegmans and Albertsons have all issued recall notices to consumers in the affected states.

Salmonella is caused by eating food contaminated with animal feces.

According to the CDC, it typically causes diarrhea, fever and stomach cramps that begin six hours to six days after the initial infection.

Most people recover within days, although the disease is responsible for more than 26,000 hospitalizations and 400 deaths each year.

The FDA warns not to consume the affected products. If you are unsure whether a product has been recalled, please contact the store where you purchased the product.

The agency also recommends cleaning surfaces that may have come into contact with the cucumbers to prevent cross-contamination.