Strawberries Sold at MD Walmart Stores Recalled Due to Hepatitis Risk

Consumers in Maryland who purchased strawberries from Walmart stores between March 5 and April 1, 2022, are being urged to throw them out due to a potential risk of hepatitis A contamination. The recall was issued after the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Centers for Disease Control (CDC) linked strawberries sold at Walmart, Aldi, Trader Joe’s, HEB, and other stores to a multi-state hepatitis A outbreak. There have been 15 cases in California, one in Minnesota, and one in Maryland, all believed to be linked to the contaminated strawberries.

The recall affects explicitly FreshKampo strawberries, sold in 1-pound clamshells with the brand name “Kampo” printed on the label. The strawberries were distributed to Walmart stores in Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, and Washington D.C. The recall applies to all FreshKampo strawberries purchased between March 5 and April 1, 2022.

According to the CDC, hepatitis A is a contagious liver infection that can range from a mild illness lasting a few weeks to a severe illness lasting several months. Symptoms of hepatitis A include fever, fatigue, loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, dark urine, clay-colored bowel movements, joint pain, and jaundice. The virus is spread through contaminated food or water, or from close contact with an infected person.

The recall comes after the FDA and CDC investigated a link between strawberries sold nationwide and the hepatitis A outbreak. The strawberries in question were sold at Walmart, Aldi, Trader Joe’s, HEB, and other stores and were distributed by Fresh Kampo and HEB. The FDA and CDC urge consumers to check their refrigerators and freezers for recalled strawberries and to throw them away or return them to the store for a full refund.

This is not the first strawberries linked to a hepatitis A outbreak. In 2016, a similar outbreak was traced back to frozen strawberries imported from Egypt and used in smoothies at a chain of restaurants. The outbreak sickened nearly 150 people in several states and led to a recall of the frozen strawberries.

What Consumers Can Do

Consumers who purchased Fresh Kampo strawberries from Walmart stores between March 5 and April 1, 2022, should check the label for the brand name “Kampo.”