The Townsend Farms hepatitis A outbreak has sickened at least 79 people nationwide. The outbreak is growing daily. The state of California has at least 33 of the outbreak cases. Fourteen people have been hospitalized, which is an unusually high number. Other states included in this outbreak are Arizona, Colorado, Hawaii, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, and Washington. The state has published an info sheet with information known to date about the affected products along with the retail distribution list of those products. The recalled products were sold at Costco stores under the name "Townsend Farms Brand Organic Antioxidant Blend" and at Harris Teeter stores under the name "Harris Teeter Brand Antioxidant Berry Blend." The Harris Teeter product was not sold in California, but was sold in … [Read more...]
Townsend Farms Hepatitis Outbreak Sickens 79, 30 Are Hospitalized
The Townsend Farms hepatitis A outbreak has now sickened 79 people in eight states and hospitalized 30 of them, according to the latest information from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The outbreak is associated with “Townsend Farms Organic Antioxidant Blend” frozen berry and pomegranate mix. During interviews, 40 of the case patients reported buying these berries at Costco. The berry mix was also sold at Harris Teeter stores under the store brand name, but at this time, no illnesses have been associated with product purchased from Harris Teeter. Both Costco and Harris Teeter have removed the product from their stores. Harris Teeter has issued a recall. Costco is notifying customers who have purchased the product since February. Townsend Farms, Inc. of Fairview, … [Read more...]
Hepatitis A Outbreak Includes Target Pharmacy Employee in Alameda Cty
The Townsend Farms hepatitis A outbreak includes a Target pharmacy employee who works in two stores in Alameda County, California: San Leandro and Hayward on Whipple Road, according to the Alameda County Public Health Department (ACPHD). Individuals who were potentially exposed received prescriptions filled by the employee between May 5 and May 24, 2013. They are being notified directly by Target Pharmacy. “While the risk of transmission from this possible exposure is low, our recommendation was to notify potentially exposed clients to advise that they stop taking the medications that were dispensed during this time and have those replaced with a new supply,“ said Dr. Erica Pan, director of ACPHD’s Division of Communicable Disease Control and Prevention. Customers who received and … [Read more...]
Colorado has 12 Cases of Hepatitis A Associated with Townsend Farms Berries
The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment reports that there are 12 cases of hepatitis A associated with Townsend Farms Organic Antioxidant Frozen Berry Blend purchased from Costco stores. Nationwide, there are 49 people sick with acute hepatitis A caused by the virus. The 12 patients live in eight counties: Adams, Arapahoe, Boulder, Clear Creek, Douglas, Eagle, El Paso, and Jefferson. There are seven states reporting cases; the others are Arizona, California, Hawaii, New Mexico, Nevada, and Utah. Townsend Farms has issued a recall of the product, sold in 3 pound bags with UPC number 0 78414 404448. The product contains cherries, blueberries, pomegranate seeds, raspberries, and strawberries. It was sold at Costco and Harris Teeter stores. If you have this product in … [Read more...]
Townsend Farms Recalls Mixed Berries For Potential Hepatitis
Four days after a multi-state outbreak of hepatitis A associated with frozen mixed berries was announced, the berry company, Townsend Farms, Inc. of Fairview, OR announced a recall of certain lots frozen Organic Antioxidant Blend berries. No other Townsend Farms products are included in the recall. The product under recall was sold at Costco stores under the name Townsend Farms Organic Antioxidant Blend in 3 lb. bags with the UPC 0 78414 404448 and codes T012415 through T053115. These codes are located on the back of the package with the words “BEST BY”; followed by the code followed by a letter. The product under recall was also sold at Harris Teeter stores from April 19 through May 7, 2013, under the name Harris Teeter Organic Antioxidant Berry Blend. It was sold in 10 oz. … [Read more...]
CDC Updates Hepatitis A Outbreak Associated with Townsend Farms Berries
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has updated the Hepatitis A outbreak associated with Townsend Farms Organic Anti-Oxdant Blend frozen berry and pomegranate mix. Now 49 people are sick with acute Hepatitis A in seven states. And eleven people have been hospitalized. The numbers are most likely going to change every day. The ill persons are in Colorado, New Mexico, Nevada, Arizona, Utah, Hawaii, and California. Twenty-six people have been interviewed. Sixty-percent, or 15 patients, are women. The patient age range is from 2 to 71 years. Illness onset dates range from 4/29/13 to 5/24/13. Nineteen people, or 76%, reported eating "Townsend Farms Organic Anti-Oxidant Blend" frozen berry and pomegranate mix before becoming ill. Nineteen people bought this product at Costco … [Read more...]
Harris Teeter Recalls Berry Blend For Potential Hepatitis Contamination
Harris Teeter is recalling frozen mixed berries that may be contaminated with hepatitis A. The Matthews, NC-based grocery chain said Tuesday that it is removing Harris Teeter Organics Antioxidant Berry Blend from its stores out of an abundance of caution because its berry supplier is Townsend Farms Inc. which has been associated with an outbreak of hepatitis A that has sickened 37 people in six states. That product contained mixed berrie and pomegranate seeds. The product under recall, Harris Teeter Organics Antioxidant Berry Blend, has the UPC number 7203670463 and code dates T041613C and T041613E. It was sold in freezer cases at Harris Teeter stores in n North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, Georgia, Tennessee, Florida, Maryland and Delaware. Harris Teeter has removed the … [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...]
Townsend Farms Recall of Berries Sold at Costco
Townsend Farms, an Oregon company, has issued a recall of Townsend Farms Organic Antioxidant Blend, a frozen berry mix sold to Costco and Harris Teeter stores, according to the FDA. This product is associated with at least 37 hepatitis A illnesses in 6 states: Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Nevada and New Mexico. The Townsend Farms berries recall was issued 3 days after the CDC announced the suspected link between the berries and the hepatitis A illnesses. "This recall should have been issued as soon an association was made between the berries and the illnesses," said attorney Fred Pritzker. "Even if Townsend Farms was initially unwilling to issue a recall, Costco should have." Costco sold the potentially contaminated berries from February through May 2013 in 3 lb. bags. … [Read more...]
Costco Townsend Farms Hepatitis A Outbreak: Imported Foods Involved in Outbreaks
The Hepatitis A outbreak associated with the Townsend Farms Organic Antioxidant Frozen Berry Blend sold at Costco stores has sickened at least 34 people in the U.S. The attorney for Townsend Farms has stated that the pomegranate seeds in the mix, imported from Turkey, are most likely responsible for the virus. How many imported foods have been responsible for foodborne illness outbreaks in this country in the last few years? The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says that outbreaks linked to imported foods are increasing. Other countries have looser regulations than our government, and Americans are eating many more imported foods. Almost half of the outbreaks from 2005 to 2010 were caused by implicated foods from areas that previously had not been associated with outbreaks. … [Read more...]
