A salmonella outbreak tore through the country last spring and summer, infecting more than 550 people and sending 155 to the hospital. The likely culprit wasn't raw eggs or undercooked chicken but an innocuous salad staple: cucumbers. One year later, cucumbers are once again making people sick — andfederal officials saythat one of the same Florida farms is once again involved. Forty-five people in 18 states recently contracted salmonella in anoutbreaklinked to cucumbers from Bedner Growers in Palm Beach County, setting off a widespread recall that has affected everything from California rollssold at Targetto banh mi sandwiches served at a North Carolina high school. The Food and Drug Administration has yet to explain how the cucumbers linked to the current outbreak became contaminated; the investigation is ongoing. But last year, the agencyfoundthat Bedner Growers had used untreated canal water for irrigation — and that the water was contaminated with one of the salmonella strains that had made people sick. Cucumbers and other fresh produce may be a surprising source ofsalmonella, which can cause diarrhea, stomach cramps and fever, as well as more serious health problems that can turn fatal. Heat from cooking can kill the bacteria, but fruits and vegetables that are eaten raw, like cucumbers, can be unsafe once they are contaminated. That means it's particularly important to protect fresh produce from pathogens lurking in water used for irrigation or washing. For people who fall ill after eating fresh produce, the source of their sickness is often a shock — healthy foods that seem safe. "I wouldn't expect a fruit or a vegetable to get me sick," said Tara Chaffin of Midland, Michigan, who was infected with salmonella during last year's outbreak. "I would never expect it." This year's cucumber-related outbreak was only caught in April because the FDA was conducting a follow-up inspection of Bedner Growers and found salmonella that matched samples from people who were recently sick,the agency said. "It's disturbing when you see the same grower implicated two years in a row," said Craig Hedberg, an epidemiologist and professor at the University of Minnesota School of Public Health. "It's clear that this particular grower and potentially other growers in that region really need to take a look at where their water comes from and how they're treating it before they're using it." Bedner Growers, which defended its irrigation system last year, did not respond to requests for comment. The back-to-back recalls of the same farm's cucumbers highlight the potential threat of contaminated water, which food safety experts say is one of the most important and complex challenges in safely growing fresh produce. A new FDA rule requiring farmers to conduct water safety assessments went into effect for large farms this spring. But already, some farming industry groups are concerned that the Trump administration's budget cuts to food safety programs could mean less education and outreach to farmers about the new rule, making it less effective. And some food safety advocates warn that the requirements don't go far enough, because farmers are allowed to decide how to respond to any hazards they identify. "The rule really allows farmers to be regulating themselves," said Anne Schechinger, Midwest director for the Environmental Working Group, an advocacy organization. The FDA did not respond to questions about the impact of agency cuts but said the new water rule would help improve public health. The International Fresh Produce Association, which represents growers,has saidthe "vast majority" are already managing their water risks, and that the industry has already developed an effective system to quickly remove problematic products. "Continuous improvement is a part of industry's safety culture," Max Teplitski, the group's chief science officer, said in a statement. Fresh Start Produce Sales, which distributed the cucumbers linked to both the recent salmonella outbreaks, told NBC News that it is dropping Bedner Growers as a supplier. "We require our suppliers to meet all U.S. food safety standards," a spokesperson for Fresh Start Produce Sales said in a statement. "In light of this incident, we have no future plans to purchase cucumbers from the farm, and we are reviewing our supplier approval programs to help prevent future issues." Chaffin hated callingin sick from work. But in May 2024, she woke up with chills, diarrhea, a stomachache and a fever. She could barely move. "It was the worst sick I've ever been in my life," said Chaffin, 52, a manager at an ice rink in Bay City, Michigan. Her doctors couldn't figure out what was wrong. She kept testing negative for Covid and the flu. Finally, one test came back positive: salmonella. Chaffin tried to recall what she had eaten in the days before she got sick. Could it have been the fried eggs she'd made at home? The cheeseburger when she went out to eat? That spinach artichoke dip? The next week, the state health department called with a potential explanation that took her aback. "I was shocked it was cucumbers," she said. "How in the heck can someone get it from that?" It can take weeks, months or even longer for health officials to determine the original source of contamination, even if they know which companies grew and processed the food. By August, the FDA had found a potential clue: The two Florida cucumber growers linked to the outbreak had used untreated canal water that tested positive for one of the same salmonella strains that had gotten people sick. (The FDA said that the two growers did not account for all the illnesses in the outbreak but never identified other sources.) Salmonella is naturally found inside the digestive tracts of many animals. It frequently reaches fruits and vegetables through animal waste that can get into the water supply through wildlife, runoff from animal feedlots or henhouses, or flooding that causes overflowing sewage. "Water is definitely one of the usual suspects when it comes to produce-related outbreaks," said Jennifer McEntire, a microbiologist and food safety consultant. "It's a great way to spread contamination around." Health experts advise heating eggs, chicken and red meat torecommended temperaturesto kill any potential bacteria, but when fresh produce is eaten raw, there is typically no "kill step" for bacteria. Washing contaminated produce before it's eaten canreducethe number of microorganisms, but usually isn't enough to eliminate all of them. Canals that are open to the surrounding environment can pose a particular risk, since birds can carry salmonella, as can amphibians and reptiles, food safety experts said. All are plentiful in the farming region linked to the recent salmonella outbreaks. "In Florida, there's plenty of wildlife who are contributing things like salmonella into the watershed," said Hedberg, the epidemiologist. "And if it's in the environment, there's potential for exposure." Bedner Growers sitson the inland side of Boynton Beach, about halfway between Palm Springs and Boca Raton. The Everglades are just to the west; an animal adventure park is a few miles north. Horse stables stretch in every direction. The farm started in the 1960s and is stillrun by the same family, cultivating 1,500 acres of bell peppers and 500 acres of cucumbers,according to a 2020 article. The company sells its produce to major retailers but also directly to customers through farm market stands and a "pick your own" operation. During last year's salmonella outbreak, the farm defended its untreated canal water, saying that it was used for underground irrigation and not applied to the edible parts of the plant. It was a "common industry practice," owner Steve Bednertold one media outlet, adding that the farm followed federal rules. But federal officials have long recognized that the existing rules don't do enough to prevent the contamination of irrigation water. In 2011, in the wake of multiple serious outbreaks, Congressoverhauledthe national food safety system, including new requirements for water used in growing produce that have taken more than a decade to draft. For years, some food safety advocates pushed for uniform testing, to ensure that the water was free of harmful bacteria. Such testing isalready required for sprouts, which are at higher risk for contamination. "Testing is not enough to prevent all outbreaks, but it would certainly help," said Schechinger, the environmental advocate. Initially, federal officials agreed. But a Biden-era plan to require testing ran aground last year after widespread pushback from industry groups, as well as numerous outside experts, who argued that testing was not a reliable way to prevent contamination given the massive volume of water used to irrigate crops and the limited sensitivity of the most widely available tests. Instead, underthe new rule— which went into effect for large farms in April — fresh produce farmers are required to write a plan that assesses the safety risks of their water, then determine the steps they need to take to prevent contamination. Beyond testing their water, farmers are increasingly consideringchemical treatmentsthat can kill pathogens, as well as UV light and filtration systems, said McEntire, the industry consultant. "It's better to be proactive," she said. "Especially if it's going to be touching the crop close to the time that it's going to be harvested." These water safety plans could look very different from farm to farm, depending on the source of the water, the type of product being grown and the geographic region. Food safety advocates and industry representatives warn that it may be more difficult for farmers to create a plan amid the Trump administration's cuts to communication, education and outreach programs for food safety, part of abroader slashingof staff and budgets across the federal government. "There's a lot of concern is that we won't necessarily have the technical support for those growers to make the best decisions," said Joelle Mosso, an associate vice president for Western Growers, an industry group. "What one person thinks is acceptable, another person may not." Under the Trump administration, the FDA has already put the brakes on another Biden-era effort: In March, the administrationdelayed a new rulerequiring food manufacturers and retailers to keep detailed records of certain products, making it easier to recall foods during outbreaks. The rule, which was supposed to take effect in January, has been pushed to mid-2028. "If you have a solid traceback system, you can find the particular product that's making people sick quickly," said Sandra Eskin, a food safety advocate and former official for the U.S. Department of Agriculture. "It's disappointing that the rule has been postponed as long as it has." The FDA said in a statement that the extension would give industry more time to comply fully, ultimately improving food safety. More than ayear after her salmonella infection, Chaffin still isn't back to normal. The gastrointestinal symptoms abated, but then she developed painful swelling in her joints that her doctor diagnosed asreactive arthritis— a complication associated with severe salmonella cases. Her hands are still so swollen that she can't put on her wedding ring. Her fingers are constantly cold unless she runs hot water over them. "It's frustrating — I hate not wearing my rings," said Chaffin, who hired an attorney to investigate her case and is pursuing potential legal action. Her husband still avoids eating cucumbers, even though he didn't get sick, but Chaffin tries not to worry. "I'm not a real scared person," she said. "You can't live your life in fear." Still, she was appalled to see another salmonella outbreak linked to one of the same growers as last year. "Something's got to be done," she said. "This is the second summer in a row — someone's got to be held accountable."
