Strawberries Recalled After Hepatitis Outbreak

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has confirmed it’s investigating a hepatitis A outbreak in strawberries across various US states.

A total of 17 cases have now been detected and the outbreak has been linked to strawberries purchased in both the US and Canada between 5 March and 25 April.

Twelve cases have resulted in hospitalisation. Fifteen cases have been recorded in California, while one has been reported in Minnesota and another in Dakota.

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The FDA said in a press release that it has linked the outbreak to organic strawberries branded as FreshKampo and HEB.

The agency listed Trader Joe's and Walmart as places where strawberries may have been bought. 

The press release was published on Friday (28 May) and included a lengthy recommendation paragraph that read in part: “Consumers, restaurants, and retailers should not sell, serve, or eat any fresh organic strawberries branded as FreshKampo or HEB if purchased between March 5, 2022, and April 25, 2022.”

It continued: “People who purchased the fresh strawberries and then froze those strawberries for later consumption should not eat them. They should be thrown away.”

UNILAD has approached both FreshKampo and HEB for comment. 

According to the NHS website, hepatitis A is ‘a liver infection caused by a virus that's spread in the poo of an infected person’.

The health service notes that hepatitis A is ‘not common’ in the UK and sufferers often make a full recovery in a few months.

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People with hepatitis A may experience high temperatures, joint and muscle pain, loss of appetite, tummy pain and yellowing, itchy skin. 

Here in the UK, food was recalled because of health concerns as recently as this month when chicken products were removed from shelves over salmonella concerns.

The major recall launched when Cranswick Country Foods alerted customers to traces of salmonella found in a 'limited number' of their chicken products. 

A spokesperson for the company said: "We are conducting a thorough investigation into the possible cause of the contamination and the site will remain closed until the investigations are complete.

"The safety and quality of every product produced by Cranswick is our number one priority and all necessary protocols will be followed and completed before we restart production."

Major supermarkets including Sainsbury's, Waitrose and Marks & Spencer recalled chicken products as a result of the scare.

According to the NHS, symptoms of salmonella can include nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, stomach cramps, a high temperature of 38°C or above, and having aches or chills.

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