Tag Archives: pomegranate seeds

USA – Hepatitis A Outbreak Grows

Posted on June 18, 2013 by | Leave a comment

Food Safety NewsNorovirus

The Hepatitis A outbreak continues in eight western states with the case count as of June 14 rising to 106. The illnesses are blamed on an organic blend of frozen berries and pomegranate seeds from multiple countries.  Produced by Oregon-based Townsend Farms and sold at Costco and Harris Teeter stores, the frozen berry blend has caused Hepatitis A cases in Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, and Washington.

In an update today on its investigation, the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta profiled the cases based on available epidemiologic data from 94 of the 106 cases under investigation:

76 of 94 (81 percent) ill people interviewed reported eating “Townsend Farms Organic Anti-Oxidant Blend” frozen berry and pomegranate mix

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Posted in Food Hygiene, Food Illness, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Poisoning, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Testing, Food Virus, Foodborne Illness, Hepatitis A, Hygiene, Illness, Laboratory, Microbiology, outbreak, Pathogen

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Hepatitis Berry Outbreak Expands Again

Posted on June 4, 2013 by | Leave a comment

Food Poisoning Bulletin

Hawaii is now added to the list of states in the Costco Townsend Farms Organic Antioxidant Blend Frozen Berry mix hepatitis A outbreak. Other states affected include Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, and New Mexico. Thirty-two people are now sick in this outbreak. Because the product was sold at Costco, and that grocery store chain has outlets in all 50 states, it’s likely that more states will be included in this outbreak

Food Poisoning Bulletin

The CDC states that the hepatitis A strain associated with Townsend Farms Anti-oxidant Blend Frozen Berry Mix sold at Costco is rare in the United States. The strain is usually found in North Africa and the Middle East.

The berry mix contains strawberries, cherries, blueberries, raspberries, and pomegrnate seeds (also called arils). The fruit was grown in the U.S., Argentina, Chile, and Turkey. The attorney for Townsend Farms has stated that the pomegranate seeds may be the causal agent in this hepatitis A outbreak. They were sourced from Turkey, which is in the Middle East and is considered part of North Africa.

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Posted in Food Hygiene, Food Inspections, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Poisoning, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Technology, Food Virus, Hepatitis A, Laboratory, Microbiology, outbreak, Pathogen, Poisoning, Recall, Virus

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