However, the producer is not responsible for all cucumber-related illnesses and the 125 hospitalizations reported between late March and early June, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said.
Salmonella found in untreated canal water used by Bedner Growers of Boynton Beach, Fla., matches a strain of the bacteria that has caused some of the illnesses reported in more than 30 states and Washington, D.C. Other types of salmonella have been detected in soil and water samples collected at the site, FDA officials said.
Bedner Growers supplied Fresh Start Produce Sales of Delray Beach, Florida, which recalled cases of cucumbers in late May after the first illnesses were reported. Bedner Growers also supplied cucumbers to several locations where sick people reported buying or eating the products, the FDA said.
Investigators initially said there were two salmonella outbreaks potentially linked to cucumbers, but combined them into one because of several similarities, including timing and type of food. Nearly 70% of the sick people surveyed said they had eaten cucumbers before becoming ill, the FDA said. The investigation is ongoing.
The growing and harvesting season for Bedner Growers cucumbers is over. There is no longer any product from the farm on the market, the FDA said, so there is likely no ongoing risk to the public.
