Scenic Fruit Company of Oregon is recalling 61,092 bags of Woodstock Frozen Organic Pomegranate Kernels because they have the potential to be contaminated with the Hepatitis A virus. No illnesses are currently associated with the seeds, and product testing shows no presence of the virus in the seeds, but this recall is occurring because the pomegranates are imported from Turkey. A multistate hepatitis A outbreak associated with Townsend Farms Organic Antioxidant Blend frozen berry and pomegranate mix is ongoing at this time. The pomegranate seeds in that product were also imported from Turkey. And the type of hepatitis A in the Townsend Farms product is common in the Middle East and Africa. The product was shipped from February 2013 through May 2013 to UNFI distribution centers … [Read more...]
How Did Hepatitis A Get on Costco Berries?
The hepatitis A outbreak associated with Townsend Farms berries sold at Costco has sickened at least 37 people in six states and raised a lot of questions. One of them is how does food become contaminated with hepatitis A? Hepatitis A is virus that is spread when an infected person doesn’t wash his his or her hands properly after going to the bathroom and touches objects or food. The foods and drinks most likely to be contaminated with hepatitis A are fruits, vegetables, shellfish, ice, and water, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). In the United States, where the hepatitis A vaccine is available and chlorination kills any of the virus that enters the water supply, the disease isn't very common. But it is prevalent in other countries including Mexico … [Read more...]
