Key Points
Organic frozen strawberries have been linked to an outbreak of Hepatitis A. Hepatitis A can be spread by contaminated fecal matter and poor hygiene..
A viral outbreak linked to the consumption of frozen strawberries has prompted a national recall in the middle of what retailers had branded Frozen Food Month, sending two people to the hospital and raising the question: Why does this keep happening?..
On March 17, federal authorities announced that frozen strawberries from two different suppliers were being voluntarily recalled after at least five people were believed to have contracted Hepatitis A from eating them, all in the state of Washington, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention..
But Dr. Darin Detwiler, an expert on food policy at Northeastern University and author of "Food Safety: Past, Present, and Predictions," told Insider that for some immunocompromised or otherwise vulnerable people, including the very young and elderly, the recall should serve as a reminder that some foods are more potentially dangerous than others...
All that makes them more likely than, say, a watermelon or avocado, to be contaminated at the time of consumption even when companies and workers are diligent and follow best practices, Detwiler said.. Fecal matter infected with Hepatitis A could be spread by workers who have not washed their hands or because the water at the farm itself is contaminated, perhaps by animal waste..
