Updated May 30 with additional illnesses. For the second time in 12 months, two Florida companies have been linked to a multistate cucumber Salmonella outbreak.
Last May, cucumbers grown by Bedner Growers Inc. of Boynton Beach and distributed by Fresh Start Produce Sales Inc. of Delray were linked to a Salmonella outbreak that sickened 551 people in 34 states over three months. Those cucumbers were tainted with two strains, Salmonella Braenderup and the rare strain Salmonella Africana.
This time, the cucumbers are contaminated with Salmonella Montevideo.
Do You Need a Salmonella Lawyer?
What Consumers Need to Know
On May 19, 2025, Bedner issued a recall for cucumbers sold between April 29, 2025, and May 14, 2025, at three Bedner’s Farm Fresh Markets locations in Boynton Beach, Delray Beach, and West Palm Beach. The cucumbers don’t have stickers or other labeling.
The recalled cucumbers were also sold to Fresh Start for further distribution to retail locations. Many retailers, including Target, Walmart, Publix, Kroger, and Safeway, sold the recalled cucumbers and sandwiches, salads, sushi, and snacks made with them.
Salmonella Symptoms
Symptoms of a Salmonella infection usually develop within six to 72 hours after eating contaminated food. They include:
- Diarrhea
- Vomiting
- Nausea
- Abdominal cramps
- Fever
Contact your healthcare provider if you have:
- Diarrhea and a fever higher than 102°F
- Diarrhea for more than three days that is not improving
- Bloody diarrhea
- Inability to keep liquids down because you are vomiting so much
- Signs of dehydration, such as decreased urination, dry mouth and throat, and feeling dizzy when standing up
2024 Bedner Cucumber Salmonella Outbreak
Last year, a 34-state Salmonella outbreak linked to cucumbers grown by Bedner Growers and distributed by Fresh Start Produce caused 551 illnesses and 155 hospitalizations in 34 states and Washington, DC. Patients, who ranged in age from 1 to 94 years old, developed Salmonella symptoms on dates ranging from March 11, 2024, to June 4, 2024.
During its inspection of Bedner’s farm, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) collected environmental samples and found multiple strains of Salmonella in soil and water samples. The outbreak strain of Braenderup was detected in samples of untreated irrigation canal water. The genetic fingerprints of other Salmonella strains collected from the farm matched clinical isolates reported in previous years.
At the time, investigators from the FDA and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said they were working to determine if there is a link between the cucumbers and those previously reported illnesses.
2025 Bedner Cucumber Salmonella Outbreak
This outbreak was discovered when FDA investigators went to Bedner’s farm on a follow-up inspection after last year’s outbreak and collected an environmental sample that genetically matched recent clinical samples from people with Salmonella Montevideo infections.
Other samples tested positive for different Salmonella strains that match the genetic fingerprints of illnesses reported over multiple years. Investigators from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are working to determine if contaminated cucumbers from Bedner’s also caused these illnesses.
People sickened in this outbreak reported buying or eating cucumbers at grocery stores, restaurants, hospitals, and on cruise ships before they became ill. Eight people said they were on a cruise when they ate cucumbers and became ill.
A traceback investigation of where patients purchased or ate cucumbers before they got sick led to Bedner Growers, where that environmental sample collected by the FDA matched the clinical isolates.
As of May 30, 2025, the outbreak includes 45 people from 18 states who developed Salmonella Montevideo infections after eating contaminated cucumbers produced by Bedner Growers. Sixteen of the outbreak patients, who range in age from 2 to 84 years old, have been hospitalized.
“The variety of Salmonella at this farm and the severity of illness some of these strains have caused is concerning,” said noted Food Safety Attorney Eric Hageman. “Like last year, this hospitalization rate is almost twice the average.”
The 18 states reporting illnesses are: AL, CA, CO, FL, GA, IL, IN, KS, KY, MA, MI, NC, NY, OH, PA, SC, TN, and VA.
Experienced Salmonella Lawyers
If you developed a Salmonella infection after eating contaminated cucumbers and would like a free consultation with a Salmonella lawyer, please contact the Pritzker Hageman Salmonella Legal Team. Our attorneys have represented clients in every major Salmonella outbreak in the U.S. Call us at 1-888-377-8900, text 612-261-0856, or complete the form below. There is no obligation, and we don’t get paid unless we win.