Cucumbers sold in 26 U.S. states and five Canadian provinces have been recalled following reports of illnesses caused by Salmonella contamination.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) shared a notice on Thanksgiving Day to warn consumers that they “should not consume” or otherwise use SunFed brand bulk American cucumbers that were recalled on the previous day.
The cucumbers were sold in bulk cardboard containers that include a “SunFed” label and in generic white boxes and black plastic crates that include a sticker with the text “Agrotato, S.A. de C.V.,” which is the name of the grower.
The recall is in effect for the following states: 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.
The Canadian provinces of Alberta, British Columbia, Calgary, Saskatchewan and Ontario are also part of the recall. All of the recalled cucumbers were sold in the U.S. and Canada between October 12 and November 26.
Consumers who purchased the cucumbers should either throw them away, destroy them or return them to their point of purchase for a refund.
“Anyone with the recalled product in their possession should not consume, serve, use, sell, or distribute recalled products,” the notice states. “We also encourage them to clean and sanitize surfaces that could have come into contact with the recalled product to reduce cross-contamination.”
Consumers with additional questions can contact Sunfed over the phone at 888-542-5849 on Monday to Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Mountain Standard Time.
SunFed said that the recall was initiated after the FDA informed the company that the cucumbers sickened an unspecified number of people between October 12 and November 15.
Newsweek reached out for comment to the FDA via email on Thursday.
“As soon as we learned of this issue, we immediately acted to protect consumers. We are working closely with authorities and the implicated ranch to determine the possible cause,” SunFed President Craig Slate said in a statement.
“Here at SunFed, food safety and consumer health and wellness have been our priorities for more than 30 years,” he added. “We require all of our growers to strictly comply with the FDA food safety requirements.”
While it was not clear how many people were sickened by the cucumbers or where the illnesses took place, Salmonella is the most common U.S. cause of food poisoning. SunFed said that those who had “consumed a recalled product and do not feel well” should contain their health care provider.
What to expect with salmonella poisoning?
Consuming Salmonella-contaminated food can lead to an infection known as salmonellosis, which usually appears between six hours to six days following consumption and typically lasts for four to seven days, according to the U.S. Food Safety and Inspection Service.
Salmonellosis includes symptoms like abdominal cramps, diarrhea that can be bloody and fever. Severe cases, which may be fatal and are more likely to occur in children, the elderly or people with compromised immune systems, include a range of other symptoms involving joints and the nervous system.
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