More cases of Hepatitis A have been confirmed in Queensland due to contaminated frozen mixed berries, which were grown in one of China’s most polluted areas.
Brisbane residents have been warned to remain on the lookout for Hepatitis A symptoms after a number of new cases have been confirmed in Queensland due to a contaminated batch of frozen berries.
There are now five confirmed cases of Hepatitis A in Queensland linked to the recalled Nanna’s frozen berries, with the fifth person located in Brisbane. Unfortunately, health experts have warned that this latest round of confirmations is not the end of the contamination.
The following Patties Foods products have been recalled as part of this investigation:
- Nanna’s Mixed Berries 1kg bag. All batches up to and including Best Before 22/11/16.
- Nanna’s Raspberries 1 kg bag. All batches up to and including Best Before 15/09/2016.
- Creative Gourmet Mixed Berries 300g (all batches up to and including Best Before 10 12 17) and 500g (all batches up to and including Best Before 06 10 17).
It has been confirmed that the frozen berries recalled from Australian supermarkets freezers were grown and packed in one of China’s most polluted provinces. Only five per cent of fruit and vegetables imported into Australia are subject to any testing — but even those few tests do not check for the bacteria that leads to Hepatitis A.
As a result of the growing number of infections, The Red Cross Blood Service has imposed a two-month blood donation ban on people who have eaten berries linked to the health scare, in a bid to prevent the infection from spreading further.
Federal Agriculture Minister Barnaby Joyce has revealed Australian authorities failed to test imported frozen berries for possible diseases despite similar Hepatitis A outbreaks in Europe.
Mr Joyce said he had been given a report from his department that confirmed the frozen berry imports were not tested.
“I got a report back from my department this morning and I am reading that this morning,” Mr Joyce told the Nine Network.
Mr Joyce said Food Standards Australia and New Zealand may have to test all frozen berry products to ensure the Hepatitis A outbreak isn’t wider than first thought.
He also took the opportunity to urge consumers to buy local.
“There is a good way that you can avoid all of this and that is to make sure you eat Australian product,” he said.
“I want to make sure I do everything in my power to say to people your safest food is your domestic food. That is why you pay a premium for Australian product. It is clean, green and healthy.”
Mr Joyce also backed stricter labelling for imported food “that clearly identifies unambiguously, as soon as you pick up a package, whether it is from our country with our strong… sanitary requirements”.
“That is making sure that faecal contamination, which is a very polite word for poo, is not anywhere near your food, not going to be put in your mouth,” he added.
Ten people have now presented with Hepatitis A, with eight confirmed Queensland cases, as the list of recalled frozen berry products continues to grow.
Queensland Health Communicable Diseases Unit Senior Director Dr Sonya Bennett said all the currently reported Hepatitis A cases were linked with the Nanna’s Mixed Berries brand purchased from Coles, Woolworths, IGA and other independent supermarkets.
“While there is no specific treatment for hepatitis A, most cases fully recover and there are usually no long term effects as a direct result of infection,” Dr Bennett said. “Symptoms of hepatitis A include abdominal pain, nausea, fever and chills, tiredness and lethargy, and yellow skin or eyes.”
Dr Bennett said these symptoms usually show up between 28-30 days after infection, but they can take up to 50 days.
“Only a small minority of people who consume the berries will become infected,” she said.“However, hepatitis A can be a serious condition if untreated and I urge anyone who has developed symptoms to contact their GP or 13 HEALTH.”
Hepatitis A is spread when traces of faecal matter containing the virus contaminate hands, objects, water or food and is then taken in by mouth. If a person has infectious hepatitis A, they can easily spread it to others in the household. Correct handwashing is essential to limit the spread.
People with hepatitis A should not return to work, school or child care until they are no longer infectious which is at least seven days after the onset of jaundice.There is a safe and effective vaccine that provides protection against hepatitis A infection for children and adults.
Anyone experiencing symptoms should contact their GP or call 13 HEALTH (13 43 25 84).
nanas needs a kick up the but ad well as other brands that keep importing these feral products from China. The food standards australia also needs a kick up the but for not testing every food item that comes from China. There are too many food products on our shelves that aren’t up to human standards consumption because they are grown in faeces. If you look on the packaging anything that says “made in australia” from local and imported ingredients you can guarantee most of the product is from China so don’t touch it or feed it to your kids otherwise you are at risk of eating something unsanitary or harmful. Another food you should not touch is garlic from China in which they actually use bleach to make it look white. It’s about time people started reading the labels if they care about their health it’s just not worth buying food products that say “local or impoted ingredients” buy ones that clearly state made in Australia and australian product.
It is very hard to know where a lot of products come from. Often ‘made from local and imported ingredients’ is all that you are told on the packaging, why is it not mandatory for the country of origin of all produce be clearly stated on the packaging. Even goods packed in Australia or New Zealand are confusing, as once again, the ‘local and imported ingredients’ statement is made. I used to believe that if a barcode started with ’93’ it was an Australian grown or made product. Now, there are often no numbers with the barcodes, and on one occasion, I purchased an pharmaceutical product, barcode starting with ’93’ only to discover later that it was in fact a product of India. It’s time this issue was addressed.
I had been eating these berries with yoghurt for breakfast for the past two weeks, fingers crossed I don’t get any symptoms.
So I returned two packets to a supermarket yesterday and got my money back (obviously clearly aware there was a recall). So I went to purchase some organic berries instead and to my amazement I notice they were still selling Nanna’s mixed berry (the same ones I just returned) I then informed them and they just said “oh how did they get in there”.
So I have three boxes in my freezer right now with those dates on!
Do I dump them, or take them to Woolworths and demand a refund ,
Ironic I bought them all when they were on special !
Some special …….. Diseased
what do they mean recall? With a recall you can usually take it back to the shop for a refund, but that would be difficult with groceries as everyone throws out their receipts once you get home so you wouldn’t be able to prove how much you paid..
some time ago I was concerned about tinned champigons that were a product of china. I checked the labels of all the brands of champigons on the shelf in both Coles and Woolworths so that I could buy Australian champigons but all the brands on the shelf all were from China! I could not believe it! So I resigned myself to buying tinned champigons from China as there was no other option!
you can sign a petition here to insist on better more details country of origin food labelling.. http://choice.good.do/CoOL/
I am a huge advocate for buying Australian grown products from our wonderful farmers & this is why. Sadly our supermarkets make it harder & harder to do this every week as they pull Australian owned & grown products from our shelves. Absolute disgrace
I notice what I wrote , was edited, Why ?
I leave products on the shelf, if they are not Australian !
EG Fresh Asparagus, but at least it is clearly labelled, product of Mexico/Peru
labelling needs to be far more comprehensive, NOT good enough to say
Packaged in Australia ! From imported Fruit !
I honestly believed it was from NZ !
Will be far more cautious in future !
Amelia, recall means return for refund!!! The supplier ie; should take back refund you and return to supplier for their refund. Just return to where you bought often they can tell by barcode what was sold by them.
I returned almost empty pac without receipt and received full refund no problems, coles had a list of berries and were very nice about it. Hope I havent got hep a booked blood tests for Friday
I think the supermarkets that sell the products should also test these products.
Yes, buy locals to support our Australian farmers, who have worked very hard everyday no matter it’s sunny or rainy, to bring us beautiful quality products.
You get what you pay for!