On the 16th of March, 2023, the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) published California Inc.’s recall of their Kirkland Brand Frozen Organic Whole Strawberries. The recall of the frozen Kirkland fruit products was reportedly due to a nation-wide Hepatitis A outbreak, connected to frozen strawberries. Since the outbreak is not excluded to any specific brand or retailer, California Inc. chose to recall their Kirkland Brand Frozen Strawberries to be abundantly cautious.
According to one National Food Poisoning Lawyer, Hepatitis A is “...a viral infection caused by the hepatitis A virus (HAV) and results in severe liver disease and sickness. It is a CDC-mandated reportable disease that is only transmitted by primates, and unlike most pathogens, does not replicate outside the body. A person usually becomes sick 15 to 50 days post-exposure (consumption) of food or beverage containing the HAV virus. Along with infection comes inflammation of the liver…While victims often recover in a week or two from most common food-borne pathogens, HAV victims are routinely sick for months, though this differs based on age and general health. While most children less than 6 years of age do not have symptoms or have an unrecognized infection, in adults 76-97% of victims are symptomatic,[18] experiencing a range of symptoms including debilitating fatigue, diminished appetite, stomach pain, nausea, and jaundice (Yellowing of the eyes and skin). Jaundice can be followed by itching and rashes. Jaundice usually resolves in a month or so, but the fatigue and nausea can last 2 or more months.”
While Hepatitis A has not been found specifically on the recalled Kirkland Signature Frozen Strawberries, customers are strongly encouraged to either discard the product or return to the location of purchase for a full refund.
For identification, the U.S. Food & Drug Administration shared the following affected products’ Lot numbers:
If experiencing the above-listed symptoms, consumers should contact their personal healthcare provider immediately and alert their public health safety officials. Questions may also be directed to one of hte food poisoning lawyers at Ron Simon *& Associates.
