Various government agencies are investigating an outbreak of hepatitis A in the US and Canada.
They believe the outbreak is related to organic strawberries purchased between March 5 and April 25, 2022 under the labels FreshKampo and HEB.
The named strawberries are most likely the cause of several cases in California, regulators said.
Although the strawberries are already past shelf life and probably no longer being sold, people who have purchased and frozen the strawberries are advised to dispose of them.
The regulatory agencies, including the FDA and the CDC, released a statement on the FDA’s website.
The strawberries were sold at the following retail businesses, but retailers may include others not listed:
- Aldi
- HEB
- Kroger
- Safeway
- Sprouts Farmers Market
- Trader Joe’s
- Walmart
- Weis Markets
- WinCo Foods
The statement included, “The traceback investigations show that cases in California, Minnesota, and Canada report having purchased fresh organic strawberries branded as FreshKampo or HEB prior to becoming ill.“
The statement advised people to consult with their physicians if they have symptoms of hepatitis A after eating the identified brands of strawberries within the last two weeks.
Hepatitis A can occur within 15-50 days after eating a contaminated food.
Symptoms include nausea, vomiting, fatigue, abdominal pain, dark urine, jaundice and pale-colored feces.
HEB, a Texas market, says that have not been selling any of the investigated strawberries since April 16. They say that their strawberries are safe, but purchases between March 5 and April 25 should be thrown away.
“No illnesses from strawberries related to the FDA investigation have been reported at HEB or in Texas,” the company said in a
statement Sunday.
Customers with any questions may contact H-E-B Customer Service at 1-855-432-4438 Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Central Standard Time.
FreshKampo, a distributor and grower of produce in Mexico, said the strawberries are no longer being distributed.
“FreshKampo wants consumers to know that it will continue to work with health officials and supply-chain partners to determine where a problem may have occurred along the supply chain and take necessary measures to prevent it from happening again,” the company said in a
statement.
