FreshKampo and HEB strawberry packages are likely linked to more than a dozen recent cases of hepatitis A in California, federal food regulators said.
The FDA and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, joined by the Public Health Agency of Canada, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency and state and local partners, are investigating a hepatitis A outbreak in the United States and Canada in several countries, potentially linked to fresh , organic strawberries labeled FreshKampo or HEB and purchased between 5 March 2022 and 25 April 2022
“If you’re not sure what brand you bought when you bought the strawberries or where you bought them before you froze them, the strawberries should be discarded,” the FDA said in a warning.
Strawberries are also sold at HEB, Kroger, Safeway, Sprouts Farmers, Trader Joe’s, Weis Markets and WinCo Foods, according to regulators. The FDA has received reports of 17 cases of hepatitis A in the United States since strawberries hit store shelves and a dozen people were hospitalized. Most of the cases were in California, but the FDA also reported one case in Minnesota and North Dakota.
In Canada, 10 cases of hepatitis A and four hospitalizations related to strawberries have been reported, according to the Associated Press.
There are no reports of deaths, according to the agency. It says that the strawberries under investigation are “a probable cause of disease in this outbreak.” The FDA’s investigation is ongoing, so other products may be linked to cases of hepatitis.
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HEB stated that it had not received or sold the strawberries under investigation since 16 April. The Texas-based grocer said his strawberries were safe, but said customers should discard all organic strawberries purchased between March 5 and April 25.
“No strawberry disease has been reported in connection with the FDA investigation at HEB or in Texas,” the company said in a statement on Sunday.
FreshKampo is a Mexico-based producer and distributor of fruits and vegetables. The company could not be reached for comment on Monday.
Hepatitis A is a contagious but treatable virus that infects the liver, causing it to swell and malfunction. Most people become infected with the virus from contaminated food or water.
Anyone who has already eaten harmful strawberries should see a doctor immediately and ask for a hepatitis vaccine, the FDA said.
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Christopher J. Brooks
Christopher J. Brooks is a reporter for CBS MoneyWatch, covering business, consumer and financial histories ranging from economic inequality and housing problems to bankruptcies and the sports business.
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