Urgent Strawberry Recall Issued Due To Life-Threatening Reason
The Food and Drug Administration has issued an urgent strawberry recall due to a potentially life-threatening reason
The combination of supply chain disruptions and mass worker shortages has spurned an increase in the number of recalled products nationwide. Everything from candy to baby formula has been pulled from the shelves in recent months. Unfortunately, this concerning recall trend doesn’t seem to be subsiding. ABC 7’s Eyewitness News reported that the Food And Drug Administration (FDA) has issued an urgent strawberry recall due to some brands potentially being linked to an outbreak of Hepatitis A cases.
At present, the only two brands that are included in the strawberry recall and have been directly linked to the outbreak are FreshKampo and HEB. The tainted strawberries were shipped and sold between March 5, 2022, and April 25, 2022. While the contaminated strawberries are well beyond their shelf life, the FDA is urging individuals who purchased and then froze fresh strawberries from either FreshKampo or HEB to dispose of the product immediately. If you happen to be uncertain as to whether or not the strawberries you purchased came from either FreshKampo or HEB then it is still advisable to dispose of the fruit as a precautionary measure.
The products involved in the strawberry recall were distributed across a wide array of stores in the United States. The FDA detailed that the products could be found at a vast number of grocers including Aldi, HEB, Kroger, Safeway, Sprouts Farmers Market, Trader Joe’s, Walmart, Weis Markets, and WinCo Foods. The agency also emphasized that this list is in no way exhaustive.
Thus far, a total of 17 cases of Hepatitis A have been found to be associated with the strawberry recall. The cases occurred in 3 different states – California, Minnesota, and North Dakota. The vast majority of which occurred in California. Of the 17 reported cases, 12 of them required hospitalization. However, as of yet, none have resulted in death. The last instance of reported illness, according to the Food and Drug Administration, was on April 30, 2022.
The FDA’s investigation pertaining to the strawberry recall remains ongoing. To determine the source of the hepatitis A outbreak, the agency is coordinating with the CDC, the Public Health Agency of Canada, and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency. At this point, the tainted strawberries are believed to have originated from a distribution site in Canada due to the locations where the hepatitis A infections occurred.
If you believe that you may have ingested strawberries originating from the brands involved in the recall, the FDA suggests that you monitor yourself for symptoms associated with hepatitis A. Symptoms of Hepatitis A can present anywhere from 15 to 50 days and typically involve nausea, vomiting, severe fatigue, and abdominal pain. Other symptoms like jaundice, dark urine and pale stools can also occur. Most individuals usually recover within two weeks after the infection’s initial onset. However, should the acute infection become chronic there is a risk of death. Individuals who believe that they have consumed the tainted strawberries and are experiencing symptoms similar to the ones outlined above should immediately seek medical assistance.
