Frozen fruit pulled from Walmart, Costco, and other stores due to possible hepatitis A contamination
Suppose you've been making a lot of smoothies lately to beat the early summer heat. In that case, you should pay close attention to your product: Frozen fruit from several brands has been voluntarily recalled, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
The nationwide recalls are due to possible hepatitis A contamination in frozen strawberries. The warnings come from two companies: Willamette Valley Fruit Company, which announced its recall on June 12, and Wawona Frozen Food, which issued the same sign a few days earlier.
According to the FDA, the Willamette Valley Fruit Company sold its products to popular grocery chains like Walmart, Costco, and HEB. The recall affects Walmart's Great Value brand—specifically, Walmart's Great Value sliced strawberries, Great Value mixed fruit, and Great Value antioxidant fruit blend—sold between January 24 and June 8, 2023, in stores across 32 states. Radar Farms packaging from Costco and HEB is also included. Costco's Rader Farms Organic Fresh Starter Juice Blend was sold October 3, 2022, through June 8, 2023, in Colorado, Texas, California, and Arizona, while HEB's Rader Farms Organic Berry Trio was distributed July 18, 2022, through June 8, 2023, in Texas. Check out the release here for more details on what symbols to look for on bags.
As for Wawona frozen food remember? These affected products were sold at Costco stores in Arizona, California, Colorado, Utah, and Washington under the title Organic Daybreak Blend from April 15 to June 26, 2022. Although these bags last came in stores over a year ago, you should still check your freezer to ensure no frozen fruits are left. The affected packages use the following dates: September 23, 2023, September 29, 2023, September 30, 2023, and October 18, 2023. Check the version for more details.
According to both statements, no reports of illnesses associated with the recoveries have yet been reported. To ensure it stays that way, both companies recommend checking your freezers, and if you see an affected bag there, toss it in the trash or return it to the store for a refund. Don't eat them - these smoothies can wait!
That's because hepatitis A can be dangerous: It's a contagious infection of the liver that can spread when sick workers prepare food or handle products such as fruit without washing their hands. Hepatitis A can cause mild illness lasting a few weeks and severe cases lasting months -- possibly leading to liver failure or death, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Symptoms include fever, fatigue, loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, dark urine, diarrhea, clay-colored bowel movements, joint pain, yellowing of the skin and eyes, or jaundice. They usually appear 15 to 50 days after eating or drinking contaminated items.
If you experience this, especially if you think you may have eaten any recalled fruit, you should consult your healthcare provider. Also, note that hepatitis A symptoms can be more difficult for children under six: Kiddos can sometimes avoid these effects and be asymptomatic. So given the range of the impact (or lack thereof), checking with your doc is especially vital if you suspect any contamination from that recalled frozen fruit.
The simplest way to protect yourself from the virus is to get the hepatitis A vaccine. Also, wash your hands well often and stay on top of recalls. This way, you can return to enjoying your frozen fruit smoothies stress-free.
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