A screen capture displaying the locations where Andrew and Williamson products are sold. The company issued a recall for cucumbers September 4 after hundreds of cases of salmonella were reported across several states.
SALT LAKE CITY — The Utah Department of Agriculture and Food announced Friday night cucumbers imported from Mexico and sold in Utah and 26 other states are being recalled after 285 confirmed cases of Salmonella Poona were linked to the cucumbers through testing, and 30 of those cases are in Utah.
According to a press release from the UDAF, Andrew & Williamson Fresh Produce voluntarily recalled cucumbers sold under the brand label “Limited Edition” from August 1 to September 3 because the items may be contaminated with Salmonella.
The California Department of Public Health reports there has been one death among the 51 cases of salmonella reported in that state.
Cucumbers subject to recall due to Salmonella September 4, 2015. Image courtesy California Department of Public Health.
The release states the cucumbers in question are of the type often referred to as a “slicer” or “American” cucumber. The image above shows retailers who buy produce from Andrew & Williamson, but Jack Wilbur, Utah Department of Agriculture and Food, told FOX 13 News it wasn’t immediately clear which Utah retailers had received the cucumbers. He said people’s best bet is to thoroughly wash all produce, see the bottom of this story for more food safety tips.
The press release offers bullet points on identifying the potentially tainted produce.
• These cucumbers are dark green in color and typical length is 7 to 10 inches.
• In retail locations it is typically sold in a bulk display without any individual packaging or plastic wrapping.
• These cucumbers are shipped in a black, green, yellow, or brown carton which reads “Limited Edition Pole Grown Cucumbers.”
• Limited Edition cucumbers were distributed in the states of Alaska, Arkansas, Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Idaho, Illinois, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Minnesota, Montana, New Jersey, New Mexico, Nevada, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Carolina, Texas, and Utah.
• Check the Andrew & Williamson Fresh Produce Product Locator for a list of restaurants and grocery stores that they sell produce to.
The release states that the 30 cases of Salmonella in Utah breakdown as follows: 10 in Salt Lake County, seven in Utah County, four in Bear River, three in Central, three in Davis County, one in Tooele County and One in the Weber-Morgan county area.
Seven people in Utah have gone to hospitals for treatment, and 17 of the Utah patients are under the age of 18.
Tune in to FOX 13 News at Nine Friday for the latest on this developing story.
The release states someone with Salmonella will usually have a fever, abdominal cramps and diarrhea about 12-72 hours after eating contaminated food or beverages. The illness lasts between four and seven days and does not require antibiotic treatment, “however the diarrhea can be severe, and hospitalization can be required.”
Young people and the elderly are more vulnerable to Salmonella.
“Children younger than age 5, older adults, and those with weakened immune systems may have a more serious illness,” according to the release. “In these people, the infection may spread from the intestines to the blood stream, and then to other body sites and can even result in death unless the person is treated promptly with antibiotics. ”
The UDAF offers several tips for safe food handling:
- Wash all surface areas of fruits and vegetables that are consumed raw.
- Keep fruits and vegetables that will be eaten raw separate from other foods such as raw meat, poultry or seafood
- Wash hands, kitchen work surfaces, and utensils with soap and water immediately after they have been in contact with raw meat or poultry.
- If you use plastic or other non-porous cutting boards, run them through the dishwasher after use
- Cut away any damaged or bruised areas on fresh fruits and vegetables before preparing and/or eating
