Frozen organic and natural strawberries marketed at Costco, Aldi, Trader Joe’s and other shops have been recalled just after the solutions had been joined to 5 cases of hepatitis A in Washington Condition, the Food items and Drug Administration explained.

The administration and the Centers for Condition Handle and Avoidance, in partnership with state and nearby agencies, are investigating the circumstances, which involved two folks who were hospitalized.

“Consumers, dining establishments and shops ought to not sell, provide or take in recalled frozen strawberries,” the F.D.A. reported in a statement. “These recalled solutions ought to be returned or thrown absent.”

Investigators discovered that 5 people who became ill and provided facts about what they ate all claimed getting consumed the strawberries, the F.D.A. reported.

The strain of hepatitis A is genetically identical to a strain that brought about an outbreak of hepatitis A bacterial infections in 2022, which was joined to fresh organic and natural strawberries also imported from Baja California, Mexico.

The two sellers in the hottest cases, California Splendor and Scenic Fruit, bought the frozen strawberries to an array of retailers beneath many brand name names, including Kirkland Signature, Manufactured With, PCC Local community Marketplaces, Simply Mother nature, Trader Joe’s and Crucial Selection, the F.D.A. reported.

“Although hepatitis A has not been detected on this product, out of an abundance of warning, shoppers should cease consuming the item and return it to their area retail store for a refund,” Scenic Fruit mentioned in a statement.

Scenic Fruit claimed it experienced ceased the production and distribution of the merchandise as the F.D.A. and the corporation investigate.

California Splendor, whose goods experienced been offered at Costco merchants in Hawaii, Los Angeles and two San Diego enterprise centers, claimed in a assertion that hepatitis A experienced not been detected in its products and solutions.

Costco claimed hepatitis A experienced not been detected in the products it offered but added that consumers ought to return them for a complete refund. Aldi reported it had no described diseases connected with the recalled items.

Trader Joe’s recalled its natural tropical fruit blend, which provided frozen strawberries as very well as frozen bananas, pineapples and mangos, but not its natural and organic strawberries as an particular person product or service.

“No health problems have been reported to date, and all probably affected product has been taken off from sale and destroyed,” Trader Joe’s explained in a statement. “If you acquired any Natural and organic Tropical Fruit Mix, make sure you do not try to eat it. We urge you to discard the merchandise or return it to any Trader Joe’s for a entire refund.”

Hepatitis A assaults the liver. An infection usually occurs within just 15 to 50 times of ingesting contaminated food items or h2o, and signs can include things like exhaustion, nausea, vomiting, abdominal agony, jaundice, dark urine and pale stool.

“If consumers bought the recalled frozen organic strawberries and ate individuals berries in the final two months, and have not been vaccinated towards hepatitis A, they ought to immediately consult with with their overall health treatment expert to figure out whether or not publish-publicity prophylaxis (PEP) is desired,” the F.D.A. mentioned.