The FDA and CDC are investigating an outbreak of hepatitis A in frozen organic strawberries sold at Costco and Trader Joe’s after the virus was linked to a supplier with farms in Baja California, authorities said.
The frozen organic strawberries were sold to a variety of retailers under multiple brands, according to the FDA, and were imported from Mexico in 2022.
The hepatitis A strain is also “genetically identical” to the strain that caused an outbreak of hepatitis A infection in fresh, organic strawberries imported from farms in Baja California in May 2022, authorities said.
Some symptoms of hepatitis A infection, experts say, include fatigue, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, and jaundice. In some cases, the infection can be asymptomatic in children under the age of six.
According to data given to the FDA by the CDC, 5 out of 5 people who gave information about what they ate when they got sick said they ate frozen strawberries.
The FDA’s traceability investigation then identified a common supplier of the organic frozen strawberries, the agency said.
In response to the investigation, San Diego-based California Splendor, Inc. voluntarily recalled 4-pound bags of Kirkland Signature organic frozen strawberries, the FDA said, adding that the bags in question were in Costco stores in Los Angeles and Hawaii were sold. and in two business centers in San Diego.
The Scenic Fruit Company of Gresham, Oregon, also voluntarily recalled frozen organic strawberries sold statewide to Costco and Trader Joe’s, authorities said. Consumers should avoid 4-pound bags of Kirkland Signature Organic Frozen Foods and Trader Joe’s 16-ounce Organic Tropical Fruit Blend.
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