March 19, 2023 – A nationwide recall of organic frozen strawberries is underway. The FDA advises individuals who have eaten these products to get a hepatitis A vaccination to stop liver infections and symptoms akin to nausea and jaundice.
The recalled products were sold at major retailers akin to Trader Joe's, Costco and ALDI, in addition to other regional retailers and suppliers.
Five cases of hepatitis A in Washington state are linked to the consumption of frozen strawberries, the FDA warned. Two of the people were hospitalized. The illnesses began, in response to the CDCThe five individuals who became sick all reported eating frozen strawberries and were between 38 and 61 years old.
“Tracing and epidemiologic investigations indicate that people with outbreak-related cases in Washington purchased the same retail brand of frozen organic strawberries before becoming ill,” the CDC's investigation report said.
The two strawberry suppliers whose products are being recalled are California Splendor and Scenic Fruit, which sold their products under different brand names. The following brands are affected by the recall: Kirkland Signature, Simply Nature, Vital Choice, Made With, PCC Community Markets and Trader Joe's Tropical Fruit Blend.
Recalled products may be identified by their best before date (which is between April 25, 2024 and November 20, 2024) or by the batch numbers printed on the packaging. A whole recall list may be found on the FDA website.
All of the strawberries within the recalled products got here from Baja California, Mexico. Last yr, strawberries from Baja California were also linked to an outbreak of hepatitis A, where the identical strain of the virus was found as on this latest outbreak.
People who've eaten recalled products inside the past 14 days should contact their local health department or doctor to debate vaccination or antibody treatment to stop the disease, the CDC advises. Symptoms of hepatitis A can appear 2 to 7 weeks and last from a couple of weeks to several months, although not everyone has symptoms. In addition to nausea and yellowing of the skin, those affected may experience lack of appetite, upset stomach, vomiting, fever, dark urine or light-colored stools, joint pain, diarrhea, or fatigue.
In a opinionTrader Joe's told customers that its Tropical Fruit Blend product “could possibly be contaminated with hepatitis A,” but said no illnesses had been reported.
A letter Addressed to Costco members, it read: “Although hepatitis A has not been identified in this product, out of an abundance of caution, consumers should stop consuming this food and return it to their local Costco retailer for a full refund of the purchase price.”
In a opinionALDI said it had removed the affected products from shelves and offered refunds, adding: “Based on the latest information available to us, there are no reported illnesses associated with the recalled product.”