Editor’s NOTE: Please read this full announcement. Consumers will be asking you about this and your staff should be fully aware and able to tell your customers that this does NOT impact your farm fresh berries. This health warning is limited to fruit purchased between March 5 and April 25 in stores such as Trader Joe’s, Walmart, Aldi, and Safeway. Hepatits is a serious virus, so consumers should be aware. Note that the symptoms can take as long as 50 days to appear.    

Public health agencies, including the Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, are inspecting a Hepatitis A outbreak that is likely being caused by contaminated organic strawberries sold in stores across North America.

FreshKampo and HEB organic strawberries purchased between March 5 and April 25 are being recalled in the United States and Canada, as they are causing illness among consumers. The agencies noted that stores such as Trader Joe’s, Walmart, Aldi, and Safeway stocked their produce sections with this fruit. At this point, the strawberries are likely NOT in stores. However, consumers who might have frozen the strawberries, made jam, or canned them for later, should throw them out. Plus, experts from the agency note that even if you don’t remember the brand of strawberries, you originally took home, you should still toss them in the trash if purchased during that time period.

Reports of illness from the contaminated strawberries have some from California, Minnesota, and North Dakota, according to the FDA. There have been a total of 17 infections and 12 hospitalizations in total across the United States from March 28 to April 30. The FDA says that consumers who have eaten FreshKampo and HEB strawberries between March 5 to April 25 and do not have Hepatitis A vaccinations should contact their healthcare providers for post-exposure prophylaxis treatment. Consumers should also visit with their healthcare provider if they have any Hepatitis A symptoms—which include liver complications and usually start about 15 to 50 days after contact with the virus.