Costco joins Kroger in recalling frozen berries over possible hepatitis A contamination
Just days after supermarket chain Kroger issued a recall of certain batches of frozen blackberries over concerns of possible hepatitis A contamination, warehouse club Costco issued its own recall on Tuesday.
According to the Food and Drug Administration, produce wholesaler Townsend Farms informed Costco of a recent test that determined that one of Townsend's frozen blackberry products was possibly contaminated with the virus. Townsend used "the domestic conventional frozen blackberry" to manufacture the Kirkland Signature Three Berry Blend product, the item in question, the company said in an announcement posted on the FDA's website.
The product has Best By Dates between February 16, 2020, and May 4, 2020 (the specific dates can be found here), Townsend said. Townsend added that Costco only sold the blackberries in San Diego, Los Angeles and Hawaii.
Although the FDA and the Centers for Disease Control noted that no customers have reported any illnesses related to the blackberries, Townsend and Costco are purportedly exercising caution and asking customers to dispose of the product.
Last Friday, Kroger announced that it would recall a selection of blackberry products that were also manufactured by Townsend. Those products include the 48-ounce and 16-ounce Private Selection Frozen Triple Berry Medley, along with the 16-ounce Private Selection Frozen Blackberries.
"Kroger has removed the potentially affected items from store shelves and initiated its customer recall notification system that alerts customers who may have purchased recalled products through register receipt tape messages and phone calls," the supermarket chain said in a statement.
Hepatitis A is a contagious liver infection that can lead to fatigue, sudden nausea, abdominal pain, joint pain and jaundice, according to Mayo Clinic. It can be spread through poor hygiene, having contaminated food or water, being near someone who's infected or having sex with someone who has the virus.
