Company recalls frozen fruit sold nationwide due to Hepatitis A risk

An employee restocks shelves at a Trader Joe's in New York on Dec. 2, 2021. Photo: Jeenah Moon/Bloomberg via Getty Images

A company in Oregon is recalling frozen fruit distributed to major food retailers such as Costco and Trader Joe's following an outbreak of Hepatitis A illnesses.

Driving the news: The recalled products are frozen organic strawberries sold at grocery stores in certain states and a frozen organic tropical fruit blend sold at Trader Joe’s nationwide.

Details: On Friday, the Food and Drug Administration shared an announcement from the Scenic Fruit Company in Gresham, Oregon, saying it had stopped producing and distributing the fruit.

  • "Although Hepatitis A has not been detected on this product, out of an abundance of caution, consumers should stop consuming the product and return it to their local store for a refund," the announcement says.
  • Trader Joe's said in a statement Friday that "no illnesses have been reported to date, and all potentially affected product has been removed from sale and destroyed."
  • A full list of the recalled products can be found on the FDA website.

Threat level: As of Mar. 13, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention had received five reports of Hepatitis A cases from the state of Washington.

  • Two people were hospitalized and no deaths have been reported.
  • Evidence has pointed to frozen organic strawberries as the likely source of the outbreak, per the CDC.
  • Another company, California Splendor, Inc., has also issued a recall for frozen organic strawberries sold at some Costco stores on the West Coast.

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