Hepatitis A in frozen berries causes recalls of two supermarket chains’ store brands
Store brand frozen berries at the Aldi and Raley’s supermarket chains got recalled by the manufacturer after government testing found hepatitis A in a product sample, Wawona Frozen Foods said.
Wawona imported raspberries from Chile and used them in making Season’s Choice Raspberries, 12-ounce bags with best-by dates of June 10, 2021, Aug. 1, 2021, and Aug. 23, 2021; and Season’s Choice Berry Medley in 16-ounce bags with best-by dates of July 17, 2021, July 20, 2021, and July 22, 2021, for Aldi.
The Chilean raspberries were also used for Raley’s Fresh Frozen Raspberries, sold in 12-ounce bags with a best-by date of June 5, 2021, with lot No. 20156A04; and Aug. 1, 2021, with lot No. 20213A06.
Consumers with either should return the berries for a refund or toss them in the garbage. Those with questions can call Wawona Frozen Foods at 866-913-0667.
Hepatitis A is a contagious disease that often passes from one person to the next via feces of an infected person. That’s why hand washing after bathroom usage is important. It can also pass via food.
Symptoms appear 15 to 50 days after infection bringing fever, headache, fatigue, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, jaundice and dark urine. In people with damaged immune systems, it can cause liver failure.
Other levels of prevention are being vaccinated against Hep A and/or having had Hep A, which would’ve caused your body to form antibodies against the disease.
Hepatitis A has swept through Florida this year, blowing away previous records with 2,962 confirmed cases as of Thursday, according to the Florida Department of Health’s reportable disease tracker. Confirmed cases from the 2014-2018 calendar years come to only 1,122.
South Florida has been spared compared to the rest of the state, the densely populated Miami-Dade, Broward, Palm Beach and Monroe counties having only 133 cases, with 73 of those on the Palm Beach account.
This story was originally published November 1, 2019 at 6:36 PM.
