If you have strawberries in your freezer, be careful.
Some frozen strawberries that were available at Costco, Trader Joe’s and other stores should not be eaten due to a risk of hepatitis A, the US Food and Drug Administration warned consumers this week.
Certain lots of Kirkland Signature organic strawberries, Trader Joe’s Organic Tropical Fruit Blend and other brands were voluntarily recalled by two suppliers this week as the FDA and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention investigate an outbreak linked to the fruit.
The FDA alert includes this image of certain brands and packaging.
fda.gov
An outbreak of hepatitis A in Washington state has left two people hospitalized and up to five people infected, the FDA said in an alert on his site. The agency said patients reported eating frozen organic strawberries before falling ill. The infections are linked to strawberries imported from certain farms in Baja California, Mexico, the FDA said.
“Consumers, restaurants and retailers should not sell, serve or eat the recalled frozen strawberries. These recalled products should be returned or discarded,” the alert reads. “If consumers have purchased the recalled frozen organic strawberries and have eaten these berries within the past two weeks, and have not been vaccinated against hepatitis A, they should immediately consult their healthcare practitioner.”
Other stores that sold the frozen strawberries include Aldi and PCC Community Markets, and other brands include Made With Organic Strawberries and Simply Nature.
Specific details on stores, brands, bundles and best buy dates are available in the FDA. alert.
The two suppliers California Splendor And Picturesque fruitsalso released information about the recall, as did Aldi, Costco, PCC Community Markets And Trader Joe’s. They all say that hepatitis A was not detected in their respective products but that the recalls were made “out of an abundance of caution”. Made With did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Saturday.
The FDA said the strain of hepatitis A found in Washington state is identical to the strain that caused an outbreak in 2022.
Hepatitis A is an infection of the liver, an organ responsible for filtering the blood and other important functions. Although most people make a full recovery (and many people in the United States are vaccinated against the virus), symptoms can last for weeks or even months and can cause more serious illness in some people.
Symptoms include abdominal pain, dark urine, fatigue, jaundice, nausea, pale stools and vomiting, the FDA said. In some cases, symptoms may not be apparent, especially in children under 6 years old.
GameSpot’s Jessica Rendall contributed to this report.
The information in this article is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended to constitute medical or health advice. Always consult a physician or other qualified health care provider with any questions you may have about a medical condition or health goals.
