A berry blend has been recalled in Europe after many people in Hungary fell ill with hepatitis A.
Two sizes of Ardo Fruitberry blend have been recalled following the discovery of the Hepatitis A virus.
Hungarian laboratory testing found hepatitis A in a 2.5kg bag of berry mix after 10 to 15 people in Hungary were hospitalized after eating in a restaurant. All patients have now recovered.
The recalled 2.5kg berry mix has lot number 58622131 and a shelf life of May 2024. Products with batch numbers 58622130 and 58622131 in 1kg packs with a shelf life of November 2024 are also recalled.
Produced in Poland
Ardo’s Fruitberry mix is produced by the group Produced and packaged by subcontractors in Poland.
Company officials stated that the incident is being investigated and a quality officer has been dispatched to Poland to find the root cause and determine the necessary corrective and preventive actions.
Countries listed as affected products in the Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed (RASFF) notification include Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, Ireland, Netherlands, Romania, Spain, Sweden and UK.
Ardo indicates that the current stock of Fruitberry blend has been frozen so that it can be tested.
Affected items are primarily delivered to customers in the foodservice industry rs. All have been contacted to stop sales and told to destroy the product.
“We regret that despite all precautions and precautions we have taken to grow, harvest and process our products in a safe and qualitative manner, this incident has occurred and we are taking all necessary measures Further improving our processes to ensure our products are always safe. We apologize for any inconvenience to those who are sick and to our customers,” the company said in a statement.
The time from infection with hepatitis A virus to sickness can range from two to seven weeks, and symptoms usually last less than two months.
Hepatitis A is spread when someone ingests the virus through close contact with an infected person or by eating contaminated food or drink. Symptoms include liver inflammation, fever, loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, muscle aches, and yellowing of the whites of the eyes and skin (jaundice).
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