The FDA has issued a health alert about hepatitis A in Kroger frozen blackberries. This product was sold under the Kroger grocery store “Private Selection” brand. The problem was discovered by the FDA under an ongoing frozen berry sampling assignment for hepatitis A and norovirus.
This sampling program was launched after three hepatitis outbreaks and one norovirus outbreak were linked to frozen berries from 1997 to 2016. Just two of those hepatitis outbreaks sickened more than 300 people in the United States.
The recalled products include:
- PRIVATE SELECTION FROZEN TRIPLE BERRY MEDLEY, 48 OZ (BEST BY: 07-07-20; UPC: 0001111079120);
- PRIVATE SELECTION FROZEN TRIPLE BERRY MEDLEY, 16 OZ (BEST BY: 06-19-20; UPC: 0001111087808);
- PRIVATE SELECTION FROZEN BLACKBERRIES, 16 OZ (BEST BY: 06-19-20, 07-02-20; UPC: 0001111087809)
The Triple Berry Medley products contain blackberries. Because these products have a two-year shelf life, some are most likely in consumers’ home freezers. Check your freezer to make sure you don’t have these products in your home.
If you do, throw them away in a sealed container. You can also take them back to the place of purchase for a refund. Wash your hands well with soap and water after handling these products.
At this time, the FDA and the CDC are not aware of any hepatitis A cases linked to the consumption of these products. But, hepatitis A symptoms can take up to 50 days to manifest. This long incubation period also means that people who are infected can infect others before they even know they are sick.
The symptoms of hepatitis A include lethargy, weight loss, jaundice (yellowing of the skin and eyes), clay-colored stools, abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, headache, fever, and dark urine. People with liver disease can become seriously ill and even die if they contract this infection.
If you have eaten these berries, and haven’t been vaccinated against hepatitis A, consult your doctor. Some doctors may recommend post exposure prophylaxis (PEP), for those who have been exposed in the past two weeks.
