If you’re a fan of frozen pomegranate, then you’ll need to check your freezer.
Entyce Food Ingredients has recalled its Creative Gourmet Frozen Pomegranate after the frozen fruit was linked to several cases of Hepatitis A.
Frozen pomegranate recall – what has happened?
Last night, NSW Health notified Entyce Food Ingredients that they have identified seven different locally acquired cases of hepatitis A in patients who had consumed their frozen pomegranates.
In response to the news, Entyce Food Ingredients actioned a precautionary recall of its Creative Gourmet Frozen Pomegranate 180g. The affected products come with a best before dates up to and including 21/03/20 and is only sold through Coles supermarkets.
“All product tested to date has been cleared and has not revealed a link to Hepatitis A. But the health and safety of our consumers is of paramount importance. Entyce Food Ingredients is exercising abundant caution by activating this voluntary recall immediately,” Entyce explained in a statement.
What are the risks?
Hepatitis A is a viral disease that affects the liver. Symptoms include fever, nausea, abdominal discomfort, dark urine and jaundice. Symptoms can last for several weeks. It can take anywhere from 15 to 50 days after contacting the virus to fall ill. The average incubation period for the virus is 28 days.
“In most people the symptoms resolve after a few weeks with supportive treatment, mainly rest and fluids,” Director of Communicable Diseases at NSW Health, Dr Vicky Sheppeard said.
What should consumers do?
Consumers who have the recalled products in their freezers should return them to the place of purchase for a full refund.
Entyce has also assured consumers that no other Creative Gourmet products are affected. Australian-grown pomegranate – both fresh and frozen – has also not been implicated.
This isn’t the first time Creative Gourmet’s frozen fruit has been linked to Hepatitis A. A similar recall took place nearly two years ago, affecting Creative Gourmet’s frozen berries.
The frozen pomegranate recall comes off the back of a listeria outbreak linked to rockmelon as well as a mango recall due to fruit fly larvae.
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