Hepatitis A

Check your freezer. The Luxembourg Veterinary and Food Administration (ALVA) has issued a recall for a frozen berry mix distributed under the German brand "JA!" due to potential hepatitis A contamination.[1]

The recall specifically affects 750 g packages with a best-before date of March 15, 2028. The affected products were sold at various shops across Luxembourg. If you have this product at home, do not consume it. Return it to the place of purchase or dispose of it safely.

Hepatitis A is a viral infection of the liver, typically transmitted through contaminated food or water. Symptoms can appear 15 to 50 days after exposure and include fever, fatigue, nausea, abdominal pain, and jaundice. Unlike hepatitis B or C, hepatitis A does not cause chronic liver disease, but it can still be seriously unpleasant and, in rare cases, dangerous.[2]

Frozen berries are a known vector for hepatitis A because the virus survives freezing temperatures effectively. Outbreaks linked to frozen berries have occurred across Europe in recent years, prompting food safety authorities to maintain heightened surveillance on these products. The freezing process preserves the virus, meaning contamination that occurred at any point in the supply chain, from farm to packaging, can remain infectious for months or years.[3]

Further details on the recall, including a full list of affected batch numbers, are available on the government's alert platform at lu-alert.lu.[1]

This is a good reminder that "frozen" does not mean "safe." Freezing preserves food, but it also preserves whatever is in it. Wash fresh fruit, cook frozen berries before eating them raw, and always check recall notices. The Luxembourg government maintains an alert system at lu-alert.lu for exactly this kind of situation.[1]