A North Carolina company is recalling cucumbers that may be contaminated with Salmonella.
In a news release Friday, L&M Companies, Inc. of Raleigh, NC, said that on April 13 the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) informed the company that Salmonella had been found on a randomly selected sample of cucumbers in a cooler at Four Seasons Produce of Central Florida, Inc.
As a result, the company said it is voluntarily recalling one lot (1,590 cartons) of whole cucumbers.
The cucumbers were distributed by L&M Companies between March 30 and April 7 to wholesalers in New York (200 cartons), Florida (591 cartons), Illinois (139 cartons), Indiana (30 cartons) and Tennessee (15 cartons), and one retailer with distribution centers in Mississippi (420 cartons), Nebraska (92 cartons), Texas (2 cartons) and Wyoming (101 cartons).
However, because those wholesale customers could have redistributed the cucumbers to additional states, L&M Companies said this is a nationwide recall.
The recalled lot of bulk cucumbers was harvested in South Florida on March 29. According to USDA’s Quick Reference for Market Inspectors, cucumbers typically maintain an edible quality for 10-14 days after harvest. L&M Companies said customers who may still have the recalled product should remove it and destroy it immediately.
The recalled bulk cartons are marked Nature’s Delight and contain the Lot # PL-RID-002990 on the side of the carton. Only this one lot is being recalled.
No illnesses have been reported in association with the recalled cucumbers.
Consumers who think they may have the recalled cucumbers should not consume them and should contact the place of purchase to determine if their cucumber is included in this recall.
Consumers or customers with questions may call L&M Companies at 919-981-8003, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Eastern Standard Time. Over the April 22-24 holiday weekend, messages left at this number will be retrieved and calls will be returned.
“L&M Companies takes food safety seriously, and we are committed to the customers and consumers who buy our products every day. Our farms are third-party, food safety certified, and they follow good agriculture practices.” said Lee Anne Oxford, company representative, in the news release. “Even though the recalled lot was only directly distributed to a handful of states, we are issuing this nationwide, voluntary recall to reduce even the slightest risk to public health.”
