The FDA, CDC, and state and local officials investigated a multistate outbreak of Salmonella
Poona linked to “slicer” cucumbers, supplied by Andrew and Williamson
Fresh Produce and grown in Baja, Mexico. This type of cucumber can also
be called “American” cucumbers.
According to the CDC, as of March 18, 2016, 907 people infected with the outbreak strains of Salmonella Poona have been reported from 40 states. The number of ill people reported from each state is as follows: Alabama (1), Alaska (21), Arizona (140), Arkansas (13), California (245), Colorado (21), Connecticut (1), Florida (1), Georgia(1), Hawaii (1), Idaho (27), Illinois (11), Indiana (5), Iowa (7), Kansas (2), Kentucky (1), Louisiana (5), Maryland (1), Minnesota (46), Missouri (15), Montana (16), Nebraska (8), Nevada (17), New Hampshire (1), New Mexico (37), New York (6), North Dakota (8), Ohio (3), Oklahoma (13), Oregon (23), Pennsylvania (3), South Carolina (10), South Dakota (3), Tennessee (1), Texas (51), Utah (62), Virginia (1), Washington (26), Wisconsin (46), and Wyoming (7).
Among 720 people with available information, 204 (28 percent)
reported being hospitalized. Among these people, illness onset dates
ranged from July 3, 2015 to February 29, 2016. Six deaths have been
reported from Arizona (1), California (3), Oklahoma (1), and Texas (1).
According to the California Department of Public Health, Salmonella
infection was considered to be a contributing factor in only one of the
three deaths in California. According to the CDC, the outbreak appears
to be over as of March 18, 2016.
Federal and state authorities identified clusters of people made ill
in separate geographic areas and worked to trace the distribution of the
food they ate back to a common supplier. The results of the traceback
investigation indicate that Andrew & Williamson Fresh Produce, of
San Diego, California, was a common supplier of cucumbers that were
eaten by the people in these illness clusters.
Several state health and agriculture departments collected and tested cucumbers from retail locations for the presence of Salmonella.
The Nevada Department of Health and Human Services, the Arizona
Department of Health Services, and the Montana Department of Public
Health and Human Services have isolated one of the outbreak strains of Salmonella
Poona from cucumbers collected from retail locations. Traceback showed
that these cucumbers were distributed by Andrew & Williamson Fresh
Produce. Additionally, the San Diego County Health and Human Services
Agency isolated one of the outbreak strains Salmonella Poona from cucumbers collected during a visit to the Andrew & Williamson Fresh Produce facility.
On September 3, 2015, FDA and the California Department of Public
Health (CDPH) briefed the management of Andrew & Williamson Fresh
Produce on the status of the investigation thus far. Andrew &
Williamson has issued a voluntary recallExternal Link Disclaimer
of all cucumbers sold under its Limited Edition® label during the
period from August 1, 2015 through September 3, 2015. This recall has
prompted additional voluntary recalls from firms that received Andrew
& Williamson Fresh Produce.
Andrew & Williamson Fresh Produce reported that the Limited
Edition cucumbers were 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.
The company further reported that these cucumbers were 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 sold in a bulk display without any
individual packaging or plastic wrapping. In food service it is
typically served as part of a salad.
The FDA traceback investigation determined that the firm Rancho Don
Juanito de R.L. de C.V. located in Baja, Mexico was the primary source
of cucumbers shipped to Andrew & Williamson.
On September 14, 2015, the FDA issued an updated Import Alert to include cucumbers from Rancho Don Juanito de R.L. de C.V. located in Baja, Mexico. This action was based on the identification of Salmonella in cucumbers through import sampling of the farm’s cucumbers.
An FDA investigator completed an inspection of Rancho Don Juanito de
R.L. de C.V. on September 17, 2015. The FDA investigator was accompanied
by the Mexican authorities. Among the observations of the FDA
investigators were concerns with waste water management, equipment
design of the pre-wash area, and storage of packing material. The firm
corrected some issues during the inspection, including equipment design
of the pre-wash area. The firm also stopped cucumber harvests at the
implicated Rancho Don Juanito farm for the 2015 cucumber harvesting
season. The root cause of the contamination was not identified during
the FDA’s inspection.
The FDA added cucumbers from Rancho Don Juanito de R.L. de C.V. located in Baja, Mexico to a second Import Alert on September 23, 2015, based on the appearance that cucumbers from the firm appeared to have been prepared, packed, and held under insanitary conditions. In order to overcome the appearance of a violation, Rancho Don Juanito de R.L. de C.V. should demonstrate that they have identified potential sources and routes of contamination and have taken steps to prevent future contamination before the company’s cucumbers can be removed from the Import Alert.
The number of reported illnesses did not return to the baseline
number for a produce outbreak for several months after the peak in
August and September. To prevent contaminated cucumbers from entering
the United States from other shippers in Mexico, FDA increased
surveillance on cucumbers imported from Mexico. FDA also sampled other
commodities and also monitored subsequent cucumber recalls after the
initial recall and Import Alert to ensure that the cucumbers were not
contaminated with the outbreak strain of Salmonella.
Early in the outbreak, the FDA and state partners found the presence
of the outbreak strain of Salmonella in cucumbers from retail locations
and at ports of entry. These cucumbers were subsequently recalled. The
results suggested a high level of contamination in these cucumbers,
which could increase the likelihood of cross-contamination of shipping
containers or other food contact surfaces. The FDA also conducted an
investigation involving review of records to determine if
cross-contamination within the distribution chain for the recalled
cucumbers could explain continued illnesses. The results of the records
review investigation were inconclusive.
As part of the FDA’s risk-based and preventive approach to food
safety, in November, 2015, the FDA began a surveillance sampling program
that includes the collection and analysis of 1,600 cucumber samples
domestic and import samples from packing houses, manufacturers and
distributors within the United States during FY 2016.
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