How Can You Canoe Tract Hepatitis A From Blackberries?

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have announced the end of an outbreak of hepatitis A linked to blackberries from the Fresh Thyme chain of grocery stores. Hepatitis A is a contagious virus that can cause liver disease, with symptoms ranging from mild to severe. The CDC recommends people who purchased fresh blackberries from any Fresh Thyme Farmers Market location or Woodman’s Market to avoid overripe berries.

A multistate outbreak of hepatitis A in Indiana, Nebraska, and Wisconsin has been potentially linked to blackberries from the Fresh Thyme chain. Consumers do not have good tools for getting the hepatitis A out of frozen berries, aside from cooking them. Good hygiene by pickers and cooking can help kill the virus.

Blackberries and berries in general can become contaminated by foodborne viral pathogens at the pre- and post-harvest level. An outbreak of hepatitis A in Indiana, Nebraska, and Wisconsin has been potentially linked to blackberries from the Fresh Thyme chain. Heat can kill the virus, but the berries need to stay heated at 85 degrees Celsius for at least one minute.

Soft fruits like strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, and berry blends play an important part of an overall healthy diet. Blueberries might be a superfood, but these and other berries can also be packed full of hepatitis A. Berries, including strawberries, raspberries, and blackberries, are another common source of food poisoning. A 1997 outbreak that involved blackberries and raspberries was a significant outbreak. Blackberries are used to treat urinary tract infections and stomach ulcers.