We continue the top 10 outbreaks of 2025 with number 3: the Bedner cucumbers Salmonella outbreak that sickened at least 69 people in 21 states. The cucumbers were recalled, and many secondary recalls of foods made with those cucumbers were also issued.
The patient case count per state was: Alabama (1), California (1), Colorado (1), Florida (7), Georgia (10), Illinois (5), Indiana (1), Kansas (1), Kentucky (1), Massachusetts (3), Maryland (1), Michigan (2), Mississippi (1), North Carolina (4), New Jersey (3), New York (4), Ohio (6), Pennsylvania (7), South Carolina (6), Tennessee (1), and Virginia (3). Illnesses started on dates ranging from April 2, 2025 to May 29, 2025. The patient age range was from 1 to 89 years. Twenty-two people were hospitalized.
Epidemiologic, traceback, and laboratory data showed that cucumbers grown by Bedner Growers were contaminated with Salmonella Montevideo and made people sick. Of the 35 people who gave information to public health officials, 29, or 83%, said they ate cucumbers the week before they got sick. Eight sick people took a cruise before they got sick, all departing from locations in Florida. Bedner provided cucumbers for those cruise ships and the grocery stores where people bought the cucumbers.
Whole genome sequencing showed that patient isolates were closely related genetically, which means that people who were sickened in this outbreak were likely sickened by the same food. A product sample collected at a Bedner distribution center in Pennsylvania was shown to have Salmonella; whole genome sequencing determined that the sample was Salmonella Montevideo, and matched the outbreak strain.
If you bought any of recalled secondary products and froze them for later use, do not eat them. You can throw them away or take them back to the store where you bought them for a full refund. If you ate any of those items recently, monitor your health for the symptoms of a Salmonella infection. If you do get sick, see your doctor.
If you have been sickened with a food poisoning infection, please contact our experienced attorneys for help with a possible lawsuit at 1-888-377-8900 or text us at 612-261-0856. Our firm represents clients in lawsuits against grocery stores, restaurants, and food processors.
