Scenic Fruit Company has issued a recall of several of its frozen organic fruits from stores across the country due to an outbreak of Hepatitis A. The recall affects frozen organic strawberries from Costco, Aldi, KeHE, Vital Choice Seafoods, PCC Markets, and frozen organic tropical blends from Trader Joe’s.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has reported five cases of Hepatitis A in Washington state, with all five individuals reporting having eaten the frozen fruit. There have been two hospitalizations, but no deaths have been reported.
Hepatitis A is a contagious liver infection caused by the virus of the same name, with symptoms ranging in severity. The disease can be prevented with a vaccine if administered within two weeks of exposure to the contaminated food.
The recall includes Scenic Fruit Company’s frozen organic strawberries sold to Simply Nature from Arizona, Arkansas, California, Illinois, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, North Dakota, South Dakota, Ohio, and Wisconsin, and frozen organic tropical blend pineapple, bananas, strawberries and mango from Trader Joe’s stores nationwide.
Scenic Fruit Company encourages those who purchased the recalled product to not consume it and to return it to the local store for a refund. Those who may have consumed the product should consult with a health professional “to determine if a vaccination is appropriate,” and those with symptoms of Hepatitis A should seek immediate care from their local health department.
The CDC has noted that further investigation of the outbreak is ongoing. They encourage those who have purchased the recalled product to contact their local health department to report their illness and potential exposure.
Frozen fruit recall issued after Hepatitis A outbreak
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The CDC also recommends that anyone who has recently eaten the recalled product contact their healthcare provider to discuss possible testing and consider a Hepatitis A vaccine. Additionally, those in contact with a person who has been diagnosed with Hepatitis A should contact their healthcare provider.
Scenic Fruit Company has issued a statement to the public, saying that although Hepatitis A has not been detected in this product, they are recalling it out of an abundance of caution. They are working with the FDA and CDC to identify the source of the outbreak.
