Turkish-grown pomegranate seeds have been linked to four more cases in a US outbreak of a strain of Hepatitis A usually found in the Middle East and North Africa. CDC confirmed the cases, bringing the outbreak's total to 140 in eight states. All cases have been linked to consumption of Townsend Farms Organic Antioxidant Blend frozen berries.

Based on trace back, FDA and CDC suspect a shipment of pomegranate seeds from Goknur Foodstuffs Import Export Trading of Turkey as the vehicle for transmission to the US. FDA says it will detain shipments of pomegranate seeds from the company as a result.

The Hepatitis A 1B genotype, as it is known, was also linked to a 2013 outbreak in Europe and a 2012 outbreak in British Columbia caused by frozen berry blends containing pomegranate seeds from Egypt.