Costco, Townsend Face Class Action Over Hepatitis Tainted Berries

On May 31 the FDA announced an investigation after an outbreak of hepatitis A was linked to frozen berries from Townsend Farms sold at Costco.

The FDA has said they are receiving around one hundred calls a day related to frozen berries from worried consumers.

Townsend Farms Organic Anti-Oxidant Blend includes a mixture of berries and seeds, and the firm has announced its own investigation into the quality of brokers and sources. Pomegranate seeds found in the mix are imported from Turkey, and have been identified as a possible source of the contamination.

Hepatitis A is an unusual strain of the disease for North America, and more than fifty people across the U.S. have now been affected. A form of contagious liver disease, hepatitis A often presents symptoms – including fatigue, nausea, vomiting, muscle pain, and skin yellowing – weeks after initial infection, and several cases found in patients are thought to have been contracted from individuals who ate the affected berries.

Thousands of the frozen berries have been sold, though so far Costco is thought to be the only supplier affected. Consumers are advised to dispose of any Townsend Farms Organic Anti-Oxidant blends they have, and businesses should not sell or serve the product.

Treatment is available for cases of hepatitis A, and mild cases often don’t require medical attention, with patients making full recoveries with no lasting damage. In extreme cases, however, liver failure can occur, and the FDA has said they are receiving around one hundred calls a day related to frozen berries from worried consumers.

Class action lawsuits have now been filed for those affected, seeking compensation for medical bills and injury, as well as aiming to encourage manufacturers to ensure testing procedures for imported foods are followed.

Bill Garr, acting on behalf of Townsend Farms, told the Associated Press recently that “we do have very good records, we know where the (pomegranate seeds) came from, we're looking into who the broker is and we're sourcing it back up the food chain to get to it.”

For now, consumers should ensure that they do not eat the frozen berries or prepare food for others if they suspect they have been exposed to the disease.