Recall alert involves cucumbers shipped to Kentucky, 26 other states

The directive was given in connection with a multi-state Salmonella Poona outbreak commonly associated with the imported cucumbers from Mexico distributed by Andrew & Williamson Fresh Produce, a company located in California.

A salmonella outbreak has sickened 285 people in 27 states and killed a 99-year-old San Diego woman.

Recalled cucumbers were received by Red Lobster restaurants and other Minnesota companies.

The cucumbers arrived in boxes marked as “Limited Edition” brand pole-grown cucumbers but state officials say it’s unlikely the cucumbers would have any identifying brand information on the shelf.

One death has been reported from California, and 53 people have reported being hospitalized. It is dark green in color and typical length is 7 to 10 inches. They were grown by Rancho Don Juanito, which operates in Mexico, and were distributed from August 1 to September 3.

Federal health investigators traced the pathogen-carrying cukes back to Andrew and Williamson Fresh Produce, a San Diego company, and specifically, its Limited Edition line.

Poisoned… It’s not the first time cucumbers have been blamed for a sickness outbreak.

Those especially vulnerable to this strain of salmonella include the elderly, infants and those with weaker immune systems.

According to the Health Department’s director Dr. Cara M. Christ, Arizona has the highest number of cases in 6 counties with 66 cases, 75% are children ages 17 and younger.

Andrew & Williamson said it is working with health officials to determine if its products are the source of the outbreak, and it undertook the voluntary recall out of caution.

Salmonella Poona isn’t as common as Salmonella Enteritidis, but the symptoms – fever, vomiting, diarrhea – are the same, Benjamin Chapman, PhD, an assistant professor and food safety extension specialist at North Carolina State University, tells Yahoo Health.

In a phone call with the Advance on Monday afternoon, Marler said cucumbers were a surprising item to be suspect as consumers “don’t normally link a produce item with smooth-ish skin” to contamination.