What to do in case of food recall

HOUSTON (KTRK) -- Most people simply don't know what to ask when it comes to food recalls or where to go to find the answers.

Maria Tijerina had no idea cucumbers from Mexico were under a recall because of a Salmonella outbreak.

"Without the news, we would never know," said Tijerina.

These cucumbers are OK because they come from Michigan, but cucumbers from Baja, Mexico and distributed by Andrew and Williamson Fresh Produce may carry the organism.

So how are average consumers supposed to know where their cucumbers were grown?

"We tell them because I am the one who buys them," said Lawrence Pilkinton of Canino Produce.

Pilkinton buys the produce sold at Canino Produce and says every produce department employee in the city should be able to tell customers where the products were grown, or be able to find the information within minutes.

"You see these cucumbers here, it'll say distributed out of Millberg, Michigan, and they have been in business probably for 60 or 70 years," said Pilkinton.

There is another way to find out if your food is under a recall notice. The website recalls.gov lists every product in the nation currently under recall, including food. It also tells consumers how to deal with the recalled product. In the case of recalled the cucumbers, consumers are urged to return them for a refund or throw the food away; simply cleaning the cucumbers may not be good enough.

"If it has Salmonella, even if you wash it, it might not get it off," said.

The Centers for Disease Control say some of the symptoms of Salmonella include diarrhea, fever and abdominal cramps. Those symptoms typically show up about 12 to 72 hours after being exposed to salmonella and can last four to seven days. Health experts say most people recover without treatment, but some may require hospitalization.

The CDC says children younger than five, adults older than 65 and people with a weakened immune system are the most likely to have severe complications from Salmonella.