CDC says throw this food out after salmonella sickens cruisers
The CDC is warning against eating one food amid a multi-state salmonella outbreak that even sickened passengers who sailed on several cruise ships.
Although it’s not uncommon to see cruise ships linked to illness outbreaks in the news, one of the latest to make headlines is not exclusive to cruise ships and their passengers.
Usually, it’s norovirus outbreaks that are associated with cruise ships, but in this case, a salmonella outbreak was linked to a food that was distributed to cruise ships, as well as grocery stores, restaurants, and hospitals.
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Eating food contaminated with salmonella bacteria is a common cause of foodborne illness in the U.S., and public health officials regularly investigate salmonella outbreaks to prevent more people from becoming sick.
It’s possible for any food to become contaminated with salmonella, but some foods are more commonly linked to outbreaks including chicken, fruits, pork, seeded vegetables, nuts, beef, and turkey.
Recent salmonella outbreaks have also been liked to backyard poultry and pet geckos.
This time, however, it’s contaminated cucumbers that have sickened at least 26 people from 15 states, including cruise passengers.
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Cruise passengers sickened by salmonella-contaminated cucumbers
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is currently leading the investigation of a multi-state outbreak of salmonella infections that’s been linked to cucumbers. Illnesses were reported in AL, CA, CO, FL, IL, KS, KY, MI, NC, NY, OH, PA, SC, TN, and VA.
Of the 26 people who got sick from salmonella, seven reported taking a cruise and eating cucumbers on board during the seven days prior to becoming sick.
All seven cruise passengers did not sail on the same cruise ship, but all departed from Florida ports. The CDC reports that the sick people sailed on five different cruise ships that departed between March 30 and April 12, and later became sick.
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The CDC warns that these 26 people may not have been the only people sickened by the contaminated cucumbers, though.
“The true number of sick people in this outbreak was likely much higher than the number reported, and this outbreak may not have been limited to the states with known illnesses. This is because many people recover without medical care and are not tested for salmonella. In addition, recent illnesses may not yet be reported, as it usually takes 3 to 4 weeks to determine if a sick person is part of an outbreak,” the CDC pointed out in an investigation update.
Contaminated cucumbers may still be within shelf life
The CDC also warns that “contaminated cucumbers may still be within shelf life based on the timing of illnesses in this outbreak.”
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has identified the source of the outbreak — cucumbers grown by Florida-based Bedner Growers, Inc., a Florida farm that was linked to a much larger salmonella outbreak in 2024 that sickened hundreds across 34 states.
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A recall of Bedner Growers cucumbers and an FDA outbreak advisory were issued on May 19. The recalled cucumbers were distributed by Fresh Start Produce Sales, Inc. to retailers, distribution centers, wholesalers, and food service distributors between April 29 and May 19. Fresh Start Produce Sales has been directed to contact its customers with recall instructions.
“CDC advises businesses to not sell or serve whole cucumbers grown by Bedner Growers Inc. and distributed by Fresh Start Produce Inc. between April 29, 2025 to May 19, 2025 while the investigation is ongoing. If you have any whole cucumbers in your home and can't tell where they are from, throw them out,” the CDC urged in its investigation update.
If you’re taking a cruise from a Florida port, you can expect that any ships that received the recalled cucumbers will stop serving them immediately once alerted. However, it’s a good idea to be cautious of cucumbers served anywhere right now until the CDC and FDA report that the outbreak is over.
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