Blackberries Possibly Contaminated with Hepatitis A

Before you make that next smoothie or fruit salad, you might want to leave the blackberries out. FDA and the CDC warn that blackberries from the Fresh Thyme whole foods chain have possibly caused an outbreak of  hepatitis A in 11 states, including Indiana and Kentucky.

According to reports, The Food and Drug Administration and US Centers for Disease Control, along with state and local officials, are investigating after people who fell ill reported consuming fresh, non-organic blackberries from the Illinois-based chain.

CDC recommends that people who purchased fresh blackberries from any Fresh Thyme Farmers Market location (which has stores in 11 Midwest states) during September 9-30, 2019 take the following actions:

Check your freezer for these blackberries. If you froze them to eat later, do not eat them. Throw away any remaining blackberries. If you have eaten these blackberries, purchased fresh and later frozen, within the last 14 days and are not vaccinated against hepatitis A, contact your local health department or healthcare provider to discuss getting postexposure prophylaxis (hepatitis A vaccine or immune globulin). Getting postexposure prophylaxis within 14 days of exposure can help prevent illness.

Fresh Thyme has issued a statement saying that it was "working with investigators to identify the source of contamination", and that there was "no reason to believe that the blackberries were contaminated through handling at its stores."

"Fresh Thyme takes the health and safety of our customers and our team members very seriously," Fresh Thyme Farmers Market has a stringent process for ensuring compliance to all local, state and federal health and hygiene regulations."