Marler Clark Files First Federal Salmonella Cucumber Lawsuit Against Grower Linked to Two Outbreaks

As of May 30, 2025, a total of 45 people infected with the outbreak strain of Salmonella have been reported from 18 states. Eight sick people reported taking a cruise during the seven days prior to becoming sick, all departing from locations in Florida. Three people traveled on the same ship. Sick people were aboard 6 different cruise ships that departed the United States between March 30 and April 12. Illnesses started on dates ranging from April 2, 2025, to May 10, 2025. Of the 40 people with information available, 16 have been hospitalized and no deaths have been reported. Alabama 1, California 1, Colorado 1, Florida 6, Georgia 7, Illinois 4, Indiana 1, Kansas 1, Kentucky 1, Massachusetts 1, Michigan 2, North Carolina 3, New York 3, Ohio 4, Pennsylvania 3, South Carolina 2, Tennessee 1 and Virginia 3.

https://www.marlerblog.com/files/2025/06/Complaint-for-Damages-ED1-L0323225xA1DCA.pdf

DNA fingerprinting is performed on bacteria using a method called whole genome sequencing (WGS). WGS showed that bacteria from sick people’s samples are closely related genetically. This suggests that people in this outbreak got sick from the same food.

People reported buying and eating cucumbers from a variety of locations including grocery stores, restaurants, hospitals and on cruise ships. FDA’s traceback investigation identified Bedner Growers Inc. as the common grower of cucumbers in this outbreak.

FDA conducted an inspection at Bedner Farm, Inc. in April 2025 as a follow up to a previous outbreak. During their inspection, environmental samples were collected. An environmental sample was identified as the outbreak strain of Salmonella.

As part of this investigation, FDA collected a product sample of Bedner Growers, Inc., cucumbers from a distribution center in Pennsylvania. Salmonella was detected in the sample of cucumbers. Whole Genome Sequencing analysis determined that the product sample contained Salmonella Montevideo, which matched the strain of Salmonella linked to illnesses in this outbreak.

Other types of Salmonella were detected in the cucumber sample collected, originating from Bedner Growers, Inc. In addition to Salmonella Montevideo, multiple other strains of Salmonella, unrelated to this outbreak investigation, matched other isolates in the National Center for Biotechnology Information’s database that occurred in 2025 and previous years. CDC is working to determine if additional human illnesses match these additional strains. Further analysis of the sample is pending.

CDC advises businesses to not sell or serve whole cucumbers grown by Bedner Growers Inc. and distributed by Fresh Start Produce Sales, Inc. between April 29, 2025, and 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.

In June 2024, the CDC announced a multistate outbreak of salmonellosisassociated with cucumbers. As of August 22, 2024, a total of 551 cases had been reported by 34 states and the District of Columbia. Cases of Salmonella Africana (n=282) and Salmonella Braenderup (n=269) were detected. CDC and FDA combined investigations of these two serotypes as they shared several similarities, including where and when illnesses occurred, the demographics of ill people and the foods they reported eating before they became sick. Illnesses started on dates ranging from March 11, 2024 to July 26, 2024. Of 456 people with information available, 155 were hospitalized. No deaths were reported. FDA’s traceback investigation identified Bedner Growers, Inc. in Florida as one of the suppliers of cucumbers in this outbreak.

Salmonella:  Marler Clark, The Food Safety Law Firm, is the nation’s leading law firm representing victims of Salmonella outbreaks. The Salmonella lawyers of Marler Clark have represented thousands of victims of Salmonella and other foodborne illness outbreaks and have recovered over $900 million for clients.  Marler Clark is the only law firm in the nation with a practice focused exclusively on foodborne illness litigation.  Our Salmonella lawyers have litigated Salmonella cases stemming from outbreaks traced to a variety of foods, such as cantaloupe, tomatoes, ground turkey, salami, sprouts, cereal, peanut butter, and food served in restaurants.  The law firm has brought Salmonella lawsuits against such companies as Cargill, ConAgra, Peanut Corporation of America, Sheetz, Taco Bell, Subway and Wal-Mart.  

If you or a family member became ill with a Salmonella infection, including Reactive Arthritis or Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), after consuming food and you’re interested in pursuing a legal claim, contact the Marler Clark Salmonella attorneys for a free case evaluation.

Additional Resources:

• About Salmonella – a complete resource for victims of Salmonella outbreaks
• Marler Clark Salmonella Lawsuits and Litigation
• Downloadable Salmonella Fact Sheet

Republished with permission from Bill Marler and Marler Clark. Copyright (c) Marler Clark LLP, PS. All rights reserved.

 

Source: https://www.marlerblog.com/case-news/marler-clark-files-first-federal-salmonella-cucumber-lawsuit-against-grower-linked-to-two-outbreaks/