3 July 2024 Punjab Khabarnama :Federal health officials stated on Tuesday that untreated water utilized by a cucumber grower in Florida is a probable cause of salmonella food poisoning, which affected approximately 450 individuals throughout the United States during the spring.
However, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention stated that the grower mentioned does not explain all of the cucumber-related illnesses and 125 hospitalizations that were reported between late March and early June..
Bedner Growers Inc. of Boynton Beach, Florida, used untreated canal water that contained Salmonella. This strain of bacteria matched the one that caused illnesses in over 30 states and Washington, D.C. The FDA officials found additional types of salmonella in soil and water samples collected at the site. Bedner Growers provided Fresh Start Produce Sales of Delray Beach, Florida with crates of cucumbers, which were later recalled in late May. Bedner Growers also supplied cucumbers to various locations where people reported getting sick after buying or consuming the produce, according to the FDA.
According to Steve Bedner, the owner of Bedner Growers, the canal water was not used on the edible parts of the cucumber plants, but rather for subsoil watering. He stated that this practice is in compliance with federal regulations and is common in the industry. The investigators initially identified two separate outbreaks of salmonella that could potentially be linked to cucumbers, but they combined them into one due to similarities in timing and the type of food. The FDA reported that nearly 70% of the interviewed individuals who became ill had consumed cucumbers. The investigation is still ongoing.
The cucumber growing and harvesting season of Bedner Growers has ended. According to the FDA, there is no remaining product from the farm available in the market, indicating that there is currently no ongoing risk to the public.
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