Our law firm has filed a lawsuit against the distributor of cucumbers contaminated with Salmonella Poona on behalf of a child sickened in a multistate outbreak that has sickened hundreds of people in 27 states, including Arizona.
To date 66 people in Arizona, most of them children, have been diagnosed with Salmonella Poona infections (salmonellosis) linked to cucumbers grown in Mexico, according to the Arizona Department of Health Services.
Many of these children were hospitalized. We need to find out how these cucumbers got contaminated with a dangerous pathogen like Salmonella Poona and why they were not pulled from the market.
The Arizona Outbreak
The 66 cases include residents of Apache (1), Coconino (2), Maricopa (49), Pima (10), Pinal (2), and Yuma (2) counties. About 75% of the cases are children 17 and under. Around 35% of the Arizona cases have been hospitalized. The vast majority of persons became ill on or after July 13, 2015.
All of the illnesses have been confirmed by the Arizona State Public Health Laboratory with the outbreak strain of Salmonella Poona bacteria. Although Salmonella is one of the most frequently reported causes of foodborne outbreaks of gastroenteritis worldwide, this particular strain, Salmonella Poona, is relatively rare to cause foodborne illness. It causes the same illnesses, typically diarrhea, as other subtypes of Salmonella. It can cause serious and rarely fatal infections in some people, such as infants, the elderly, and those with weakened immune systems and/or severe chronic health conditions.
A vast majority of the people sickened reported eating (or their parents reported them eating) garden variety cucumbers from a restaurant or grocery store. The Arizona State Public Health Laboratory tested cucumber samples to identify products involved in the outbreak and Salmonella was identified from one cucumber specimen.
The implicated cucumbers were grown in Mexico. One distributor, Andrew & Williamson Fresh Produce of San Diego, California, issued a recall of certain cucumbers (see below). The company website says it does business with the following restaurants: Olive Garden, Red Lobster and The Capital Grille. The company also states it does business with following grocery stores and retailers, according to the website: Fresh and Easy, Costco, Walmart, Kroger, Safeway, HEB, Albertsons, United, Sam’s Club, and Savemart.
Cucumber Recall
Andrew & Williamson Fresh Produce of San Diego, CA initiated a voluntary recall of their garden cucumbers, after being informed of the epidemiologic association between these cucumbers and the Salmonella Poona outbreak. The recalled garden cucumbers can be identified in distribution channels as “Limited Edition” brand pole grown cucumbers. The labeling on these cases indicates the product was grown and packed by Rancho Don Juanito in Mexico. These cucumbers were distributed between August 1 – September 3, 2015.
Limited Edition® cucumbers were produced in Baja California and distributed in the states of Alaska, Arkansas, Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Idaho, Illinois, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Minnesota, Montana, New Jersey, New Mexico, Nevada, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Carolina, Texas, and Utah and reached customers through retail, food service companies, wholesalers, and brokers.
These cucumbers are shipped in a black, green, yellow, and craft colored carton which reads “Limited Edition Pole Grown Cucumbers.” This variety is often referred to as a “Slicer” or “American” cucumber. It has a dark green color. It typically has a length of 7 to 10 inches and a diameter of 1.75 to 2.5 inches. In retail it is typically is sold in a bulk display without any individual packaging or plastic wrapping. In foodservice it is typically served as part of a salad.