Walmart Food Recall Update as FDA Issues Most Severe Risk Level
Walmart is pulling a popular produce item from store shelves in a dozen Texas locations after federal authorities flagged a potential health hazard.
The company issued a voluntary recall of its Marketside Fresh Cut Cucumber Slices over concerns the product may be contaminated with Salmonella, a bacteria that can lead to serious illness.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has classified the recall as a Class I, the agency's most urgent warning level, signaling the potential for significant public health consequences.
Newsweek has contacted Walmart outside of normal working hours via email for comment.
The FDA's Class I recall designation is reserved for situations where use of a product could lead to serious adverse health consequences or death. Salmonella infections are particularly dangerous for young children, elderly adults, and people with weakened immune systems, although even healthy individuals can experience severe gastrointestinal illness.
If consumed, the cucumber slices could trigger symptoms including fever, nausea, vomiting, abdominal cramps, and diarrhea. Severe cases may require hospitalization.
The recall, initiated by Walmart on May 20, 2025, was classified by the FDA on June 3.
The affected product, the fresh cut cucumber, was packaged in a clear circular plastic container with a clear lid and white adhesive label, with the code 00262969000006 and dated up to May 24, 2025. There are 522 units of the product being recalled.
The product was distributed at the following 12 Walmart retail locations in Texas:
EnnisPalestineLongviewBenbrook/Fort WorthWichita FallsFrisco (Stonebrook)Longview (Southeast)SaginawRockwallLindaleIrvingParis
There had been no reports of illnesses in connection with the product as of May 22, when Walmart announced the recall.
Symptoms of salmonellosis usually start six hours to six days after infection and last four to seven days, the FDA reported.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's guidance on salmonella said: "In some people, the illness may be so severe that the patient is hospitalized. Salmonella infection may spread from the intestines to the bloodstream and then to other parts of the body."
The FDAwrote on its website: "Most people infected with Salmonella will begin to develop symptoms 12 to 72 hours after infection. The illness, salmonellosis, usually lasts four to seven days and most people recover without treatment.
"Most people with salmonellosis develop diarrhea, fever, and abdominal cramps. More severe cases of salmonellosis may include a high fever, aches, headaches, lethargy, a rash, blood in the urine or stool, and in some cases may become fatal. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimated that approximately 450 persons in the United States die each year from acute salmonellosis.
"Due to the range in severity of illness, people should consult their health care provider if they suspect that they have developed symptoms that resemble a Salmonella infection."
The recall remains active. Customers who purchased this item at these locations are advised not to consume it and to return it for a full refund.
Anyone who has consumed the product and begins to experience symptoms associated with Salmonella is encouraged to seek immediate medical attention and to report their case to the FDA's MedWatch system.
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