Hold the salad! A salmonella outbreak is rocking the high seas and the supermarket aisles — and you won’t believe what’s behind it. Yep… cucumbers.

Federal health officials have launched a full-blown investigation after at least 45 people across 18 states, including passengers aboard SIX cruise ships, fell seriously ill thanks to contaminated cukes.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) confirmed that sick passengers were aboard six different cruise ships that sailed out of Florida between late March and mid-April. It’s still a mystery whether the suspect veggies were served onboard or munched on before passengers even hit the gangway, but all the infections match the same genetic strain of salmonella.

According to the CDC, 16 people have been hospitalized, and the tainted vegetables have been traced back to Bedner Growers in Florida, with distribution handled by Fresh Start Produce Sales. The cucumbers were sold from April 29 to May 19 — and ended up in restaurants, hospitals, grocery stores, and yes… cruise ships.

The contaminated cucumbers didn’t just sneak aboard your floating vacation. They also made it into salads, deli items, vegetable rolls, and more at places like Target, which has already issued urgent recalls.

One sample from a Pennsylvania distribution center tested positive for the same salmonella strain making people sick — and to make things worse, multiple additional strains have been detected from the same source.

What Now?
The CDC and FDA are keeping their eyes peeled for more infections and are bracing for additional recalls if more contaminated products surface. Investigators are scrambling to see if any other states or food items are caught up in this veggie mess.

Your summer salad might be more dangerous than that waterslide. If you’ve recently cruised from Florida or picked up cukes from your local store pay attention.

Stay safe, skip the cucumber, and keep your cruise snacks drama-free.