Kroger recalls frozen berries over hepatitis concern

FDA found the virus through an ongoing frozen berry testing effort

Kroger recalled store-brand bags of frozen berries from its chain of grocery stores because the FDA found the hepatitis A virus in a blackberry sample.

The FDA made the discovery as part of an ongoing effort to sample frozen berries, the agency said in its public health alert.

The recalled Private Selection brand products are:

triple berry medley, 48 oz. (best by: 07-07-20; UPC: 0001111079120)
triple berry medley, 16 oz. (best by: 06-19-20; UPC: 0001111087808)
blackberries, 16 oz. (best by: 06-19-20, 07-02-20; UPC: 0001111087809)

The FDA says to throw away the products purchased at Kroger or its other locations. The berries have a two-year shelf life.

The FDA is working with the manufacturer, investigating whether other products are affected.

Health officials weren’t aware of any hepatitis A cases linked to eating the berries. The virus can cause a liver infection that some people might not notice. But when symptoms occur, they could include fever and diarrhea that last a few weeks to several months.

Hepatitis A virus can contaminate food at any point: growing, harvesting, processing, handling and even after cooking, the FDA says.

People who ate the recalled berries and have not been vaccinated for hepatitis A should see their doctors about a possible treatment.

People with food safety questions can call the FDA at 888-SAFEFOOD from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. EDT Monday through Friday.

Rose Shilling is a previous managing editor of Food Engineering Magazine. She wrote feature stories on a variety of topics and tracked the food packaging industry. A journalist with an editing background at news services and newspapers, she also has driven editorial projects in health care and higher education.