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Bags of frozen fruit sold at multiple stores are being voluntarily recalled. Getty Images
  • Multiple brands of frozen fruit sold at Walmart, Costco and HEB are being voluntarily recalled.
  • The recall is due to the risk of hepatitis A contamination.
  • No illnesses have been reported.

Multiple packs of frozen strawberries and mixed fruit have been voluntarily recalled due to a potential hepatitis A contamination.

The frozen fruit mixes were sold at various Walmart, Costco, and HEB locations across the United States between October 2022 and June 2023.

No illnesses have been associated with the recall, according to the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) safety noticeTrusted Source.

Hepatitis A is a contagious liver infection that typically causes a mild illness, with symptoms such as fatigue, abdominal pain, jaundice, that occurs up to 50 days after being exposed to the hepatitis A virus (HAV).

Most people make a full recovery within a few weeks but it can lead to serious complications, like liver failure, in certain individuals.

“If a person eats food contaminated with the hepatitis A virus, they can become sick, but the likelihood depends on several factors such as the amount of virus on the food and the individual’s immune response,” Dr. Eric Cioe-Peña, vice president of Global Health and ED physician at Staten Island University Hospital, told Healthline.

The frozen fruit was grown in Mexico and was packaged and distributed by Willamette Valley Fruit Company.

It was sold at select Walmart, Costco Wholesale Stores, and HEB locations.

  • Walmart: Great Value Sliced Strawberries, Great Value Mixed Fruit, and Great Value Antioxidant Blend packages were distributed to stores in AR, AZ, CA, CO, HI, IA, ID, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MD, MI, MN, MO, MT, ND, NE, NV, NY, OH, OK, OR, PA, SD, TX, UT, VA, WI, WV, and WY. They were delivered between January 24th, 2023 to June 8th, 2023
  • Costco: Rader Farms Organic Fresh Start Smoothie Blend was distributed to Costco stores in Colorado, Texas, California, and Arizona from October 3rd, 2022 to June 8th, 2023.
  • HEB: Rader Farms Organic Berry Trio was distributed to HEB stores in Texas between July 18th, 2022 and June 8th, 2023.

Willamette Valley Fruit Co. is urging everyone who bought these products at these locations to check their freezers for the recalled items.

If you purchased any of the fruit in question, do not eat it. Throw the fruit out or return it to the store for a refund.

You can find all the lot numbers, best by dates, and images of the affected products hereTrusted Source.

Hepatitis A is a very contagious liver infection. The virusTrusted Source can enter foods from fecal contamination during growing, harvesting, and processing phases.

The foods it most commonly affects are shellfish and fresh produce.

There are multiple factors that contribute to whether someone will get sick or not after consuming foods contaminated with hepatitis A virus.

“It all depends on whether they’re immune to hepatitis A (via vaccination or prior exposure), how much they eat, how contaminated the strawberries are,” says Dr. Amesh Adalja, FIDSA, a senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins University Center for Health Security and an infectious disease expert.

According to Dr. Scott Roberts, a Yale Medicine infectious diseases specialist and assistant professor of medicine at Yale School of Medicine, even small amounts of hepatitis A can make some people sick.

“A single fruit contaminated with hepatitis A can still lead to a severe infection,” Roberts said.

Food-borne or waterborne hepatitis A outbreaksTrusted Source aren’t too common in the United States, but they do occur from time to time.

Illness typically occurs 15 to 50 daysTrusted Source after consuming contaminated food or water.

Signs and symptoms include fever, fatigue, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, dark-colored urine, jaundice (yellowing of the skin), and light-colored feces.

Hepatitis A is usually self-limited, “meaning the body often fights off the infection on its own over time,” says Cioe-Peña.

There is no specific treatment for hepatitis A. It’s treated with supportive care, including rest and hydration.

“Most people feel better by the third week of illness,” says Adalja.

According to Roberts, 85% of people completely recover within three months and most people recover within six months.

In rare cases, people may develop chronic hepatitis ATrusted Source, which can cause severe health issues like liver failure and death.

The hepatitis A shot has been a routine childhood vaccination in the U.S. since 2006, says Adalja.

The vaccine is also recommended for at-risk individuals along with people traveling to areas where hepatitis A outbreaks are common, he added.

Washing contaminated foods may not be enough to eliminate the virus, so the best thing to do is avoid consuming any foods or drinks that have been recalled.

Cooking contaminated foods can kill the virus, however, many of the foods that carry HAV (such as fruit and vegetables) are eaten raw.

“Any contaminated product with a recall notice should be discarded and not consumed in any way,” Roberts said.

Multiple packs of frozen strawberries and mixed fruit have been voluntarily recalled due to a potential hepatitis A contamination. Hepatitis A is a contagious liver infection that can cause fatigue, abdominal pain, and discolored urine and feces. Anyone who purchased the affected products, which were sold at select Costco, Walmart, and HEB stores, should discard all of them and avoid eating them.