A lawsuit has been filed in the Southern District of Mississippi Northern Division on behalf of Brandi Jackson against Bedner Farm, Inc., in connection with the ongoing multistate Salmonella outbreak linked to cucumbers. Ms. Jackson is represented by Marler Clark, a food safety law firm, along with local counsel Langston & Lott, PLLC. The case is listed as Complaint #3:25-cv-00423-DPJ-ASH.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has identified Bedner Growers Inc. as the common grower in both the current 2025 outbreak and a previous 2024 outbreak that resulted in over 550 illnesses. "This is the second Salmonella outbreak linked to Bedner Farms in the last two years," said attorney William Marler. "It is very unusual to see a company involved in back-to-back outbreaks of this scale."
According to the complaint, Ms. Jackson purchased cucumbers on May 13, 2025, from a Kroger in Pearl, Mississippi. Days later, she developed severe symptoms including fever, abdominal pain, vomiting, and diarrhea. She was hospitalized for nearly a week and diagnosed with a bloodborne Salmonella infection. Upon discharge, she required ongoing intravenous antibiotics and continues to recover, with uncertainty about potential long-term health effects.
As of May 30, 2025, 45 confirmed Salmonella cases across 18 U.S. states have been linked to this outbreak. Reported states include Florida (6 cases), Georgia (7), Ohio (4), and New York (3), among others. At least eight people had recently been on cruises departing from Florida, and illnesses were reported on six separate cruise ships. The onset of illness ranged from April 2 to May 10. So far, 16 people have been hospitalized. No deaths have been reported.
The FDA inspected Bedner Farm in April 2025 and confirmed that an environmental sample from the site matched the outbreak strain of Salmonella Montevideo. Additionally, a product sample from a distribution center in Pennsylvania tested positive for the same strain. Other unrelated Salmonella strains were also found, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is continuing to assess if these strains are linked to additional human illnesses.
The CDC advises consumers and businesses not to sell, serve, or consume whole cucumbers grown by Bedner Growers Inc. and distributed by Fresh Start Produce Sales, Inc. between April 29 and May 19, 2025. Cucumbers of unknown origin should be discarded.
In 2024, Bedner Growers Inc. was also identified in a cucumber-linked Salmonella outbreak that sickened 551 people across 34 states. No deaths were reported, though 155 individuals required hospitalization.
For more information:
Marler Clark
Tel: +1 866 768 6846
Email: [email protected]
www.marlerclark.com