Yummi Sushi voluntarily recalled packages of sushi sold at Kroger grocery stores in Texas due to an ongoing salmonella outbreak impacting cucumbers.
Nearly 70 people across 19 states have fallen ill from consuming cucumbers affected by the outbreak, according to an update from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention earlier this week. Eighteen people have been hospitalized. The outbreak has been traced to a batch of contaminated cucumbers grown by Agrotato, S.A. de C.V. in Sonora, Mexico.
No illnesses have been reported regarding the sushi products.
"Epidemiologic and traceback information shows that cucumbers grown by Agrotato, S.A. de C.V. in Sonora, Mexico, including recalled cucumbers from SunFed Produce, LLC, may be contaminated with Salmonella and may be making people sick," the CDC said.
Symptoms of salmonella infection include fever, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain. In more severe cases, salmonella can cause arterial infections, endocarditis and arthritis. Infections can be serious and even fatal, particularly in young children, elderly people and those with a weakened immune system.
Illness usually occurs within 12 to 72 hours of consuming products affected by salmonella, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said.
Baloian Farms of Arizona Co., Inc. and Russ Davis Wholesale also recalled all sizes of fresh American/slicer cucumbers sold by importers between October 12 and November 26, according to the FDA.
Newsweek reached out to the FDA via email for comment.
The recall has also impacted other companies, including products using the contaminated cucumbers. Yummi Sushi was one of the most recent to issue a recall.
"Yummi Sushi LLC. of Farmers Branch, TX is assisting in a voluntary Kroger Store recall for cucumbers purchased from Sunfed Produce LLC Recall (purchased from Kroger Stores) due to possible contamination with Salmonella," the company recall on the FDA website said.
The recalled sushi is packaged in a clear plastic, grab-and-go container.
"The company ceased the production of items utilizing the recalled cucumbers and completed sanitation procedures," the recall said. "Consumers should not consume and instead should discard the product. The product(s) involved is past its shelf life and should already be out of distribution, but if consumers have any product they question, discard it."
CDC data on the nationwide outbreak reveals that 16 of the infected people were in Montana, eight in Colorado, seven in Oregon and five each in Washington, Texas and Massachusetts, Newsweek reported earlier this week.
Additionally, four people were infected in South Dakota, three in Wisconsin, two each in Iowa, Illinois, Utah and Wyoming, and one each in Alaska, California, Nebraska, New Jersey, New York, Ohio and Pennsylvania.