- Frozen organic strawberries have been recalled due to a possible link to a hepatitis A outbreak.
- The now-recalled strawberries were sold under various brand names at stores such as Aldi and Costco, and in a mix of tropical fruits at Trader Joe’s.
- Hepatitis A has not been found on the products, but the company and the FDA warn consumers who have frozen strawberries not to eat them.
Time to check your freezer again.
Frozen organic strawberries sold in Aldi and Costco stores, and in a tropics fruit mix sold in Trader Joe’s stores across the country have been recalled due to a possible connection to a Hepatitis A outbreak.
Scenic Fruit Company of Gresham, Oregon is recalling frozen strawberries sold under various brand names in 18 states at Aldi, Costco, KeHE, Vital Choice Seafood and PCC Community Markets. Trader Joe’s recalled Organic Tropical Fruit Blend was sold all over the US
The company has ceased production and distribution of the products while the Food and Drug Administration investigates the company, the FDA says.
There have been five outbreaks of hepatitis A reported from Washington since March 13. All of those people reported eating frozen organic strawberries, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Those illnesses began on dates ranging from November 24, 2022 to December 17, 2022. No deaths have been reported, only two people have been hospitalized, says the GGD.
The affected strawberries have an expiration date of April 25, 2024 to November 20, 2024. Hepatitis A has not been found on the produce, but the company and the FDA advise consumers who might have them in their freezer not to eat it and return it to their local store for a refund.
“As a precaution, we are recalling frozen organic strawberries that we received from our supplier,” Maridean Eisele, owner and president of Scenic Fruit Company, said in a statement sent to USA TODAY. “The move comes after our supplier initiated the recall due to a possible connection to frozen organic strawberries contaminated with the hepatitis A virus.”
What else is being recalled? Check out USA TODAY’s searchable recall database; cars, food, consumer goods and more.
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Research on Hepatitis A outbreak in 2022
The recall is an extension of an investigation initiated in February by the CDC and FDA regarding an outbreak of hepatitis A linked to frozen organic strawberries imported by a common supplier from certain farms in Baja California, Mexico.
At that time, California Splendor of San Diego, Calif., voluntarily recalled certain lots of 4-pound bags of Kirkland Signature Frozen Organic Whole Strawberries sold at Costco stores in Los Angeles and Hawaii, and in two business centers in San Diego.
During the investigation, the FDA found that the strain of hepatitis A virus that is currently causing disease is genetically identical to the strain that caused an outbreak of hepatitis A virus infections in 2022. Frozen strawberries imported in 2022 are the likely source of this current hepatitis A outbreak. , the CDC said.
Hepatitis A is a vaccine-preventable liver infection, according to the CDC. It is an infectious disease and symptoms – such as fatigue, nausea, abdominal pain and jaundice – can last for up to two months. In rare cases, hepatitis A can lead to liver failure and death, the FDA said.
If you have eaten one of the recalled strawberries in the past 14 days and have not been vaccinated against hepatitis A, the CDC recommends contacting your local health department or healthcare provider for a possible vaccine or other treatment to help prevent illness.
Organic strawberry and tropical fruit blend recalled
The following products are affected by this recall and, in some cases, have been sold at different stores in multiple states:
- Simply Nature Organic Strawberries: 24 ounces. mate; UPC: 4099100256222; Best before date: 6/14/2024. Sold in Aldi stores in Arizona, Arkansas, California, Illinois, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, North Dakota, South Dakota, Ohio and Wisconsin.
- Vital Choice Organic Strawberries: 16 oz. mate; UPC: 834297005024; Best before date: 20-05-2024. Sold in Washington.
- Kirkland Signature Organic Strawberries: 4 lbs. mate; UPC: 96619140404 ; Best by date: 10/8/2024. Sold in Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Utah and Washington.
- Made with Organic Strawberries: 10 ounces. mate; UPC: 814343021390; Best before date: 11/20/2024. Sold in Illinois and Maryland.
- PCC Community Markets Organic Strawberries: 32 ounces. mate; UPC: 22827109469; Best before date: 10/29/2024. Sold in Washington.
- Trader Joe’s Organic Tropical Fruit Blend Pineapple, Bananas, Strawberries & Mango: 16 oz. mate; UPC: 00511919; Best before dates: 25/04/24, 24/12/05, 23/05/24, 30/05/24, 24/07/06. Sold nationwide.
Consumers with questions can contact Scenic Fruit via email at customer.service@scenicfruit.com.
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Contributors: Jordan Mendoza
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