Food Safety Firm Sues Produce Company For Distributing Salmonella-Tainted Cucumbers From Mexico

One consumer is suing a produce company after she fell ill from salmonella-tainted cucumbers.

Marler Clark, a food safety law firm in Seattle, filed the lawsuit against Andrew & Williamson Fresh Produce Inc. on behalf of Minnesota resident Kathleen R. Dvergsten, according to Food Safety News.

On September 4, the San Diego-based produce company recalled all cucumbers grown and packed in Mexico. So far, 285 people in 27 states have become sick after eating the cucumbers. One death has been reported, in California, and 12 of the sickened people live in Minnesota.

Dvergsten ate the cucumbers at a Red Lobster in Maplewood, Minnesota. She experienced severe cramping, vomiting, and diarrhea and was admitted to a hospital for treatment. Dvergsten was there for almost a week and is still dealing with the aftereffects of her illness.

"While it's good there's a recall now underway, it didn't come nearly soon enough," Bill Marler, food safety advocate and managing partner at Marler Clark, told Food Safety News. "One person has died eating what is usually a healthy food and hundreds have been sickened so far. As these cucumbers were sold to restaurants and home cooks, it's possible the number of illnesses will rise."

Back in July, cilantro from Puebla, Mexico, was banned in the United States because it contained a parasite called cyclosporiasis, which causes intestinal illnesses.