March 18 (UPI) — The Food and Drug Administration issued a recall notice for frozen organic strawberries that are sold at various retailers, after they were linked to five cases of hepatitis A in Washington State.
The agency along with the Centers for Disease Control are investigating the cases. The strawberries are sold at Trader Joe’s, Costco, Aldi and other food stores.
Two people have been hospitalized so far, the agency said.
“Consumers, restaurants and retailers should not sell, serve or eat recalled frozen strawberries,” the FDA said in a statement. “These recalled products should be returned or thrown away.”
The FDA said that the strawberries were genetically identical to a strain that caused an outbreak of hepatitis A infections in 2022. That case was linked fresh organic strawberries imported from Baja California, Mexico, and sold at various retailers.
Scenic Fruit Company of Gresham, Oregon, has voluntarily recalled frozen organic strawberries, sold to Costco, Aldi, KeHE, Vital Choice Seafood, and PCC Community Markets in certain states and to Trader Joe’s nationwide, the administration said.
