Strawberry Hepatitis A Lawsuit

Frozen strawberries and fruit blends from Costco, HEB, and Walmart were recalled due to a risk of Hepatitis A contamination.

What You Can Do & How We Can Help

The Schmidt Firm, PLLC is currently accepting Hepatitis A induced injury cases in all 50 states. If you or somebody you know has been infected with Hepatitis A after eating strawberries, you should contact our lawyers immediately for a free case consultation. Please use the form below to contact our Food Poisoning Litigation Group or call toll free 24 hours a day at (866) 920-0753.

UPDATE: 10 People Infected With Hepatitis From Frozen Strawberries

As of July 18, 2023, at least 10 people were infected with Hepatitis A after eating frozen organic strawberries, according to an FDA update. Illnesses were reported in California (2), Hawaii (1), Oregon (1), and Washington (6) between November 2022 and June 2023.

Frozen Strawberries From HEB, Costco, Walmart Recalled for Hepatitis A

In June 2023, a variety of frozen strawberry and frozen fruit blends were recalled at Costco, HEB, and Walmart stores in dozens of states due to a risk of Hepatitis A contamination in the frozen strawberries. The recall includes the following products:

• Walmart: Great Value Sliced Strawberries, Great Value Mixed Fruit, and Great Value Antioxidant Blend distributed to select Walmart 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 from January 24th, 2023 to June 8th, 2023
• Costco Wholesale Stores: Rader Farms Organic Fresh Start Smoothie Blend distributed to Costco Wholesale stores in Colorado, Texas, California, and Arizona from October 3rd, 2022 and June 8th, 2023.
• HEB: Rader Farms Organic Berry Trio distributed to HEB stores in Texas from July 18th, 2022 to June 8th, 2023.

Costco Recalls Frozen Strawberries After Hepatitis A Outbreak

In April 2023, health officials in Los Angeles County reported another case of Hepatitis A in a person who reported eating frozen strawberries.

In March 2023, California Splendor Inc. recalled Kirkland Signature® Frozen Organic Whole Strawberries after an outbreak of Hepatitis A. The recall was expanded by Scenic Fruit Company to include Kirkland Signature 4-lb. bags of Frozen Organic Strawberries in Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Utah, Washington.

The recall was also expanded to include several brand-names of frozen organic strawberries that were sold at Trader Joe’s stores nationwide, as well as Costco, Aldi, KeHE, Vital Choice Seafood, and PCC Community Markets in certain states.

The recalled products include:

• Kirkland Signature Organic Strawberries (Best By 10/8/2024)
• Simply Nature Organic Strawberries (Best By 6/14/2024)
• Vital Choice Organic Strawberries (Best By 05/20/2024)
• Made With Organic Strawberries (Best Before 11/20/2024)
• PCC Community Markets Organic Strawberries (Best By 29/10/2024)
• Trader Joe’s Organic Tropical Fruit Blend (Best By 04/25/24; 05/12/24; 05/23/24; 05/30/24; 06/07/24)

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) outbreak investigation, there have been 5 cases of Hepatitis A in Washington state linked to frozen strawberries between November 24, 2022 and December 27, 2022. The strawberries were grown in Baja California, Mexico, and contaminated with the same strain of Hepatitis A that caused another outbreak in 2022 that was also linked to organic strawberries.

California Family’s Lawsuit Blames FreshKampo Strawberries for Hepatitis A Infections

In June 2022, a lawsuit filed by a family from San Diego, California, who alleges that 3 people were infected with Hepatitis A after eating strawberries. The lawsuit was filed against FreshKampo in San Diego Superior Court. In late April, three family members developed symptoms of Hepatitis A. One person was hospitalized with acute liver failure resulting from a Hepatitis A infection.

Hepatitis A Outbreak Linked to Strawberries

In May 2022, fresh organic strawberries sold under FreshKampo® and HEB® brand-names were linked to a multi-state outbreak of Hepatitis A in the U.S. and Canada.

The recall includes FreshKampo® and HEB® fresh organic strawberries, which were sold nationwide in the U.S. between March 5, 2022 and April 25, 2022.

The list of grocery stores and retailers includes (but not limited to):

• Aldi
• HEB
• Kroger
• Safeway
• Sprouts Farmers Market
• Trader Joe’s
• Walmart
• Weis Markets
• WinCo Foods

In the U.S., at least 17 people were infected with Hepatitis A in California (15), Minnesota (1) and North Dakota (1), including 12 people who were hospitalized due to a severe illness. The last illness onset date was on April 30, 2022.

In Canada, there were another 10 laboratory-confirmed cases of Hepatitis A under investigation in Alberta (4) and Saskatchewan (6) as of mid-April 2022. Health officials have linked the illnesses to fresh organic strawberries purchased between March 5 and March 9, 2022 at co-op stores in Alberta and Saskatchewan.

Information About Hepatitis A Infections

Hepatitis A is a virus that spreads in fecal matter, often through contaminated food, water, or infected food-workers who do not wash their hands. It can cause a serious liver infection and other long-lasting health problems in people who are infected.

Symptoms of Hepatitis A

Adults are more likely to develop symptoms than children, but it can take up to 50 days for symptoms to appear. The symptoms of a Hepatitis A infection may include:

• Fever
• Dark urine
• Loss of appetite
• Tiredness
• Nausea and vomiting
• Stomach cramps or abdominal pain
• Jaundice (yellowing of the skin and eyes)

Other Hepatitis A Outbreaks Linked to Berries

Berries have been a recurrent source of Hepatitis A outbreaks. In recent years, there have been numerous recalls for fresh and frozen raspberries, blackberries, strawberries, pomegranate seeds, and mixed berry products.

In 2016, frozen strawberries imported from Egypt were linked to an outbreak of Hepatitis A illnesses at Tropical Smoothie Cafe. At least 134 people were infected in 9 states, with most of the illnesses in Virginia.

One of the largest outbreaks was in 2013, when Townsend Farms frozen berries with pomegranate seeds infected at least 165 people in 10 states with the Hepatitis A virus.

Do I have a Strawberry Hepatitis A Lawsuit?

The Schmidt Firm, PLLC is currently accepting Hepatitis A induced injury cases in all 50 states. If you or somebody you know has been infected with Hepatitis A after eating strawberries, you should contact our lawyers immediately for a free case consultation. Please use the form below to contact our Food Poisoning Litigation Group or call toll free 24 hours a day at (866) 920-0753.

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