Frozen Fruit Recalled Over Possible Hepatitis A Contamination

It's a bad week for smoothie lovers.

It's time to check your freezers! Your frozen raspberries may need to be trashed.

Exportadora Compramar, the parent company of James Farm, is recalling almost 1300 cases of frozen raspberries after discovering a potential Hepatitis A contamination. 

The recall was first announced late last week after routine testing by the FDA turned up the presence of the virus in packaging marked by the UPC Code 76069501010 and the Lot Code CO 22-165. 

Each carton, imported from Chile, contains two, five-pound bags of raspberries with a best-by date of June 14, 2024. They were sold in Restaurant Depot/Jetro locations throughout nine states: New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia and Delaware.

Hepatitis A, a contagious disease of the liver, can range from a mild, few-week illness to a severe infection lasting several months. Symptoms usually arise within 15 to 50 days of exposure and include fatigue, abdominal pain, jaundice, abnormal liver tests, dark urine and pale stool. Rarely, typically in those who are immunocompromised, Hep A can also lead to liver failure.

If you believe you may have consumed the recalled raspberries, contact your doctor—a vaccine can usually prevent illness if administered within two weeks of exposure through contaminated foods. As of the date of recall, Dec. 3, there have been no reported illnesses or adverse reactions related to the raspberries.

If you are in possession of the affected lots, you should immediately discard them, or return them to the point of sale for a full refund.

If you're a smoothie kind of person, make sure your blender or juicer isn't under recall, too.