FDA investigates potential link between organic strawberries and hepatitis A outbreak

30 May 2022 ---A multistate outbreak of hepatitis A infections in the US and Canada has been potentially linked to fresh organic strawberries, branded as FreshKampo and HEB, purchased between March 5 and April 25, 2022.

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), along with CDC, the Public Health Agency of Canada and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, state and local partners are currently leading the investigation.

“Currently, the potentially affected FreshKampo and HEB products are past shelf life,” details the FDA. “People who purchased FreshKampo and HEB fresh organic strawberries between March 5 and April 25, 2022, and then froze those strawberries for later consumption should not eat them.”

“Consumers, restaurants and retailers should not sell, serve or eat any fresh organic strawberries branded as FreshKampo or HEB if purchased between March 5 and April 25, 2022.”

With this investigation currently ongoing, additional products may be included in the coming weeks.More products are potentially compromised
While this investigation of epidemiologic and traceback data is currently ongoing, additional products may be included in the coming weeks.

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 illness onset dates range from March 28 to April 30, 2022.

It is advised that consumers that have eaten the infected strawberries who have not been vaccinated against hepatitis A should immediately consult with their healthcare professional to determine whether post exposure prophylaxis (PEP) is needed. 

Food safety advances
Among other recent foodborne pathogen outbreaks, the UK Food Standards Agency and Food Standards Scotland have advised consumers to avoid certain Ferrero Kinder products with best before dates July 11 and October 7, 2022, based on a potential connection to a Salmonella outbreak.

Last March, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) called for “prudence in the use of antimicrobials in all sectors, including agriculture.” This follows findings that antimicrobial resistance remains high in Campylobacter – the most frequently reported cause of foodborne illness in the EU in 2020 – and in some strains of Salmonella.

With food safety awareness always at the top of mind for manufacturers, latest rollouts of hygiene-promoting technologies continue to attract attention.

FoodIngredientsFirst recently caught up with experts from Kerry, Blue California, Givaudan and Kalsec to showcase the latest insights and developments in natural preservation solutions, which include novel botanical ingredient synergies.

On the packaging front, Aptar Food + Beverage introduced InvisiShield technology, an anti-pathogenic packaging solution for sealed containers, to the fresh produce sector. The technology releases a chlorine dioxide antimicrobial solution onto the product to protect it from hepatitis A, as well as E. coli and Salmonella.

Edited by Benjamin Ferrer