Why food recalls are increasing
E.Coli, metal and even a dead bat have been found in recalled food. In fact, food recalls are increasing. Yet, that might actually be a good sign. Here’s why.
USA TODAY
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced an expanded recall Monday that affected cucumbers sold in Walmart, Costco, Wegmans and Albertsons. Following this announcement, Walmart announced it would be recalling cucumbers sold in certain Texas stores.
According to a press release from the FDA, the cucumbers recalled were sold by SunFed Produce of Rio Rico, Arizona in Walmart stores and have been recalled due to a possible salmonella outbreak.
The cucumbers recalled are Walmart’s Marketside Fresh Cut Cucumber Slices sold between Oct. 12 and Nov. 26. According to the FDA, the sliced cucumbers were sold in 34 stores across Texas.
Here’s what to know about the recall.
What Walmart stores in Texas are affected by the cucumber recall?
The FDA released a list of the following Walmart stores affected by the cucumber recall:
What are the symptoms of salmonella infection?
Salmonella is a bacteria that can enter the food production chain when the process isn’t sanitary and when workers handling food do not wash their hands, the FDA says. Salmonella can be spread via contaminated water errantly used to irrigate crops, according to the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention.
Symptoms of salmonella infection, or salmonellosis, usually occur between six hours and six days after exposure and may include diarrhea, fever and stomach cramps, the CDC says.
Severe infections may include aches, headaches, elevated fever, lethargy, rashes, and blood in the urine or stool. Some salmonella infections may become fatal.
Salmonella causes about 1.35 million illnesses, 26,500 hospitalizations, and 420 deaths in the U.S. annually, according to the CDC.
Earlier this summer, a salmonella outbreak linked to recalled cucumbers (not linked to SunFed) sickened at least 449 in 31 states, the CDC said. Other recent salmonella outbreaks have been linked to pet bearded dragons, backyard poultry and basil, the agency says.
Contributing: Mike Snider and Gabe Hauari.
Fernando Cervantes Jr. is a trending news reporter for USA TODAY. Reach him at fernando.cervantes@gannett.com and follow him on X @fern_cerv_.
