The Food and Drug Administration has announced a recall for various frozen fruit products from the Scenic Fruit Company because they have a risk of hepatitis A contamination.
The FDA posted its recall on Friday in cooperation with the company, saying that products affected include Trader Joe’s frozen “Organic Tropical Fruit Blend” sold at stores nationwide and frozen organic strawberries sold under the Kirkland Signature brand at Costco locations in Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Utah, and Washington.
Other products affected in the recall include the frozen strawberries under the brand names Simply Nature, Made With, and PCC Community Markets sold at some Aldi stores, the Seattle-based PCC Community Markets, and sold through the delivery service Vital Choice Seafood.
The posting from the FDA has the entire list of potentially contaminated product names, their best-by dates, and where they were sold on its website.
Scenic Fruit Company shared in the recall announcement that not every product has been confirmed to be contaminated, but the recall is being issued out of caution.
“Although Hepatitis A has not been detected on this product, out of an abundance of caution, consumers should stop consuming the product and return it to their local store for a refund,” the company said.
There have been three confirmed cases of hepatitis A, with two more suspected, all among people in Washington who reported eating the frozen strawberries, the CDC reported. Two people had to be hospitalized, but no deaths have been reported.
A hepatitis A infection can result in liver disease, and symptoms usually appear two to seven weeks after infection, according to the CDC. The most common symptoms include mild fever, fatigue, abdominal or joint pain, diarrhea, jaundice, or dark urine. These symptoms can last up to six months but usually stop less than two months after infection.
The issue is now being investigated by Scenic Fruit Company and the FDA, and while it remains ongoing, the production and distribution of the products has been stopped.
Trader Joe’s has commented on the situation, saying that “no illnesses have been reported to date, and all potentially affected product has been removed from sale and destroyed.”
The recalled strawberries were imported from farms located in Baja California, Mexico, according to the FDA. The agency also noted that the strain of hepatitis A causing illnesses this year is genetically identical to the strain which caused an outbreak linked back to Baja California-grown strawberries last year.
Those who may have consumed some of the recalled fruit are advised to consult their doctor promptly to determine the next appropriate step, Scenic Fruit Company shared.
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