The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has launched an investigation into a Salmonella Montevideo outbreak linked to cucumbers sourced from Bedner Growers, Inc. in Boynton Beach, Florida. As of Wednesday’s latest FDA update, the outbreak has sickened 26 individuals across 15 states, including Florida, with nine hospitalizations reported.
The FDA, in collaboration with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and state and local partners, is actively investigating the multistate outbreak. The implicated cucumbers were grown by Bedner Growers, Inc., and distributed by Fresh Start Produce Sales, Inc., of Delray, Florida.
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Symptoms of Salmonella infection typically include diarrhea, fever, and abdominal cramps. While most individuals recover without specific treatment, life-threatening complications can occur, leading to hospitalizations in more severe cases.
Consumers, retailers, and distributors are urged to dispose of any cucumbers sourced from Bedner Growers, Inc., in Boynton Beach between April 29 and May 19, 2025. This includes cucumbers sold at Bedner’s Farm Fresh Market locations in Boynton Beach, Delray Beach, and West Palm Beach between April 29 and May 14, 2025. Furthermore, it is critical to thoroughly clean and sanitize any surfaces that may have come into contact with the potentially contaminated produce.
This current investigation stems from a follow-up inspection initiated by the FDA in April 2025. During this inspection, an environmental sample from Bedner Growers, Inc. tested positive for Salmonella and matched recent clinical samples from ill individuals through Whole Genome Sequencing (WGS) analysis. This follow-up inspection was directly in response to the 2024 Salmonella Africana and Salmonella Braenderup outbreaks, which were also traced to cucumbers likely originating from Bedner Growers, Inc. and Thomas Produce Company of Boca Raton. The 2024 incident involved a significantly larger scope, with 551 illnesses and 155 hospitalizations reported in 34 states.
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Keith Schneider, a UF/IFAS professor of food safety who studies foodborne illness associated with raw produce consumption, offered insights into the outbreak, though he is not directly involved in the FDA’s investigation.
“It’s important to note that the system of food safety checks is working as intended because it picked up that there’s been a cluster of individuals who are getting sick from a particular organism, and the potential source was quickly pulled from store shelves,” Schneider stated.
He advised consumers to discard or return any suspect products but cautioned against swearing off cucumbers entirely, especially if they are from a different grower or region. “There is nothing inherently dangerous about cucumbers,” he clarified. “It’s simply that this particular product from a specific grower may have somehow become contaminated because Salmonella was detected on the property.”
The FDA’s investigation is ongoing, and officials have not yet announced a definitive cause of the current outbreak. While the presence of microscopic bacteria makes it challenging to ascertain contamination, Schneider offered practical tips for consumers to minimize risk: buy undamaged fruits and vegetables, refrigerate produce that requires chilling, and periodically clean produce drawers.
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“Most food harbors bacteria, but most of it is benign, and it doesn’t make people sick,” Schneider explained. “While foodborne illness can be very serious and potentially life-threatening, it’s relatively rare considering the amount of food Americans consume every year.”
The FDA will continue to provide updates as more information becomes available in this ongoing investigation and this story will be updated.
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