Food recalls have hit grocery produce aisles repeatedly in 2024, with federal agencies tracking several multistate outbreaks tied to fresh vegetables. This latest warning centers on cucumbers recalled after a salmonella outbreak linked to Bedner Growers of Boynton Beach, Florida, and distributed by Fresh Start Produce Sales, according to the FDA and CDC.
What happened in the cucumber recall
The FDA said recalled whole fresh American cucumbers grown by Bedner Growers, Inc. were sold between April 29 and May 19, 2024, and may have reached consumers through retailers, restaurants, and food service distributors in multiple states. On May 31, 2024, Fresh Start Produce Sales, Inc. announced a recall covering cucumbers shipped to customers in at least 14 states, according to the FDA.
The CDC later said the outbreak tied to those cucumbers sickened 551 people in 34 states and Washington, D.C. A total of 155 people were hospitalized, and no deaths were reported in the CDC’s final update on November 27, 2024. Federal investigators said outbreak strain salmonella was identified in samples from Bedner Growers.
If you still have whole cucumbers and cannot tell where they came from, the FDA said they should be thrown away. The agency also said consumers should clean and sanitize surfaces that may have touched the recalled cucumbers, including refrigerator drawers, cutting boards, and countertops.
What it means in stores and at home
The cucumber recall was national, but the FDA has not released a complete consumer-facing list of every store location that may have sold the affected produce. Fresh Start Produce Sales said shipments went to wholesalers, distributors, retailers, and food service operators in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Maryland, North Carolina, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia.
That means shoppers may not see a brand sticker or a clear package label that identifies every affected cucumber. The FDA said some recalled cucumbers may have been sold individually and may no longer be available in stores because the main sale window ended in May 2024, but the warning still matters for anyone who froze, pickled, or otherwise kept cucumbers from that period.
Restaurants and stores were told to notify customers and sanitize any areas where the produce was stored or prepared, according to the recall notice. For households, the clearest sign is uncertainty: if a cucumber’s source cannot be confirmed and it may match the recalled sales period, federal guidance is to discard it.
Why federal agencies issued the warning
The FDA said its investigators traced the outbreak to untreated canal water used by Bedner Growers, and environmental samples matched the outbreak strain of salmonella. The agency said the farm had also been linked to a 2022 outbreak, which added scrutiny during the 2024 investigation. Those findings were included in the FDA’s outbreak advisory and follow-up updates.
This is why the warning uses broad language instead of naming only a few grocery stores. Produce like cucumbers often moves through repackers, wholesalers, restaurant suppliers, and local retailers before it reaches shoppers, and the FDA said traceback work connected multiple illness reports to the same supply chain.
For customers, the practical takeaway is narrow and specific. If a cucumber is from the recalled Bedner Growers and Fresh Start Produce Sales supply chain, or if its origin cannot be verified and it may have been sold during the April 29 to May 19, 2024 window, federal agencies said it should not be eaten. The CDC said the outbreak investigation is closed, but the recall record remains part of the public safety notice.
