The Food and Drug Administration said it identified a second grower as a source of illness in a salmonella outbreak traced to field cucumbers that sickened nearly 450 people in 31 states.
The FDA said it identified a strain of Salmonella Braenderup in untreated canal water used by Bedner Growers of Boynton Beach, Fla. The agency recently added the second grower, Thomas Produce Co. of Boca Raton, Fla,
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said traceback information showed Thomas Produce Co. supplied cucumbers to multiple points of service where people who fell ill reported eating cucumbers. The CDC detected Salmonella Braenderup in samples of canal water used by Thomas Produce Co. Whole-genome sequencing determined the water used by Thomas Produce Co. contained the Salmonella that matched the strain of Salmonella Braenderup causing some of the illnesses in the outbreak, the CDC reports.
The FDA said cucumbers from both growers are no longer in-season and there is no ongoing risk to the public. The agency also said these growers do not account for all illnesses in the outbreak.
