Check Your Freezer! Massive Strawberry Recall After Hepatitis Outbreak

Check your freezer! There's a massive frozen strawberry recall for possible Hepatitis A.

Scenic Fruit is recalling frozen organic strawberries sold at several stores across the country and a frozen organic tropical blend from Trader Joe's in New York.

Recalled Frozen Strawberries

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) says strawberries imported from farms in Baja California, Mexico are being recalled due to an outbreak of Hepatitis A illnesses. They were sold at Costco, Aldi, KeHE, Vital Choice Seafood, and PCC Community Markets. The tropical blend was sold at Trader Joe’s.

Hepatitis A is a contagious liver disease that results from exposure to the Hepatitis A virus, including from food. It can range from a mild illness lasting a few weeks to a serious illness lasting several months. In rare cases, particularly consumers who have a pre-existing severe illness or are immune compromised, Hepatitis A infection can progress to liver failure.

New York Strawberries

The only recalled strawberries in New York were sold at Trader Joe's.

Hep A Symptoms

Symptoms from Hepatitis A occur anywhere from 15 to 50 days after exposure and can include any of the following:

Fatigue
Abdominal pain
Jaundice
Abnormal liver tests
Dark urine
Pale stool

There is a vaccine that can prevent illness but it must be given within two weeks of exposure to contaminated food. If you think you've eaten the recalled strawberries, you're advised to contact your healthcare professional or local health department to see if you may need a vaccine.

5 Hep A Cases

The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) says there have been 5 cases of hepatitis A reported in Washington state, and 2 people have been hospitalized. It's the same strain that was linked to the Hep A outbreak in 2022, from strawberries imported from the same farms.

The company has ceased the production and distribution of frozen strawberries and the FDA is continuing to investigate what caused the problem.

If you have any questions you can contact the Scenic Fruit company at customer.service@scenicfruit.com.