Cucumber recall for salmonella expanded, CFIA says

Cucumbers are seen in this photo attached to the CFIA recall notice. (Canadian Food Inspection Agency)

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency has published an expanded pair of recalls for cucumbers over risks of salmonella contamination.

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Affected products include:

• Pamela brand cucumbers sold between Oct. 12 and Nov. 29, though a Wednesday release from the agency notes that the cucumbers may have been distributed loose or in bulk, and may not have been identifiable by a specific brand. Originally a product of Mexico, cucumbers under the recall were sold in British Columbia and Alberta, though some may have reached other provinces and territories as well. The Dec. 4 recall is a follow-up to a separate recall on cucumbers published the day before, also for salmonella risks.

 

• In addition, a Nov. 28 recall on SunFed brand cucumbers and expanded on Dec. 2 has been further updated, now including field- and slicer cucumbers (PLU 4062) sold in Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, Ontario and Saskatchewan between Oct. 12 and Dec. 4. Similar to the above, affected products may have been sold outside of the listed provinces, and may have been sold loose or in bulk, without brand labels.

What should I do?

Consumers are advised to check their recent grocery purchases and to avoid using, serving selling or distributing the affected products. Cucumbers subject to the recall should be thrown out or returned to the store for a refund. Those who are unsure whether their products are affected should contact their retailer for more information.

The CFIA notes that foods contaminated with salmonella may not appear noticeably spoiled, but still pose serious, sometimes deadly health risks, especially to young children, pregnant people, seniors and individuals with weakened immune systems.

Symptoms of salmonella poisoning include nausea, diarrhea, blood in stool, abdominal pain, headache and fever. In more severe cases, complications can include arterial infection, inflammation in the heart and arthritis.

The recalls were triggered as a result of separate, international recalls, the Wednesday releases say. So far, no cases of illness have been reported in Canada.

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