The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) is conducting a food safety investigation after a U.S. company recalled cucumbers shipped to four Canadian provinces due to possible salmonella exposure.
SunFed Produce LLC is warning customers in Canada and the U.S. that all sizes of its cucumbers could be contaminated with salmonella. The produce was shipped to stores in Alberta, British Columbia, Saskatchewan, and Ontario.
The recall affects whole fresh cucumbers packaged in bulk cardboard containers labelled with the “SunFed” brand or in a white box or black plastic crate with a sticker that provides the implicated grower’s name, “Agrotato, S.A. de C.V.”
The CFIA said its investigation may lead to the Canadian agency issuing its own food recall warning for the products shipped to Canada.
SunFed Produce has recalled cucumbers sold in B.C., Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Ontario. FDA handout photo
The cucumbers, which were also shipped to 26 U.S. states, became the subject of a recall after the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) discovered the cucumbers were linked to reported salmonellosis illnesses between Oct. 12 and Nov. 15.
The FDA is recommending all recalled products be thrown out or returned to the store where they were purchased.
Salmonellosis is recognized as one of the most common forms of food poisoning by Health Canada. It can cause a wide range of symptoms including chills, diarrhea, fever, nausea, stomach cramps, sudden headache, and vomiting, according to the agency’s website.
While salmonella exposure does not cause symptoms in everyone, those affected typically experience side effects within six to 72 hours, the agency says.
The most common complication arising from salmonellosis is dehydration, which may result from severe bouts of vomiting or diarrhea. Health Canada recommends those with symptoms rest and drink plenty of fluids.
Most symptoms end within four to seven days and rarely require medical treatment. In extreme cases, patients may need prescription drugs and intravenous fluids to recover.
The elderly, infants, and those with impaired immune systems are more likely to have a severe reaction to Salmonellosis.
“While most people recover completely on their own, some people may have a more serious illness that requires hospital care and may lead to long-lasting health effects or death,” Health Canada says. “Long-term complications may include severe arthritis.”
Those who are infected with the bacteria can spread the illness to others anywhere from several days to several weeks after becoming infected, even when no symptoms are present. It is spread via person-to-person contact and by touching contaminated surfaces.
