Hepatitis A in Western Family brand pineapple chunks

9/1/2017

Pineapple-Chunks-Hep-A.png 

Image via Fraser Health

Information from the BCCDC

Updated Sept. 5, 2017

The ongoing investigation into hepatitis A virus in pineapple chunks has identified additional products that may be affected. 

The products implicated in connection with the investigation were sold at Overwaitea, Save-on-Foods and PriceSmart stores throughout BC, as well as Ferraro Foods in Trail, BC.

Additional products:

 Fresh pineapple chunks 227g and 425g
 Fresh peeled & cored pineapple 16oz
 Fresh fruit salad 198g, 227g and 425g
 Fresh citrus salad 226g

The products were Western Family brand, or unbranded, and all had a best before date of August 19, 2017

Information is also available under Product Alerts on the Save-On-Foods website: https://www.saveonfoods.com/product-alerts/ 

For ongoing updates on the impact of this matter in Alberta, please see www.ahs.ca

Vaccine is effective in preventing hepatitis A infection if the product was eaten within the last 14 days. For more about the signs and symptoms of hepatitis A, as well as how to receive free hepatitis A vaccine in your health authority, see the original news release below.

Vaccine is effective in preventing hepatitis A infection if the product was eaten within the last 14 days. For more about the signs and symptoms of hepatitis A, as well as how to receive free hepatitis A vaccine in your health authority, see the original news release below.


Vancouver – The BC Centre for Disease Control (BCCDC) is warning consumers that Hepatitis A virus has been detected in a sample of Western Family brand fresh pineapple chunks sold in ready‐to‐go cups.

Current information indicates the cups were produced on August 11th and distributed to 38 Save‐On‐Foods, Overwaitea Foods and PriceSmart Foods stores in BC. (A list is at the bottom of this release.)

The fruit cups may have been on sale from August 11th and had a best before date of August 19th.

The investigation is ongoing. Other products are believed to be affected and more information will be provided as it becomes available.

What you can do

Hepatitis A vaccine can prevent hepatitis A infection if given within 14 days after exposure.

 If you consumed this product on August 18th or later, you should receive a dose of hepatitis A vaccine.

 If you develop symptoms of hepatitis A, contact your family doctor and local health unit office immediately.

 Consumers who have frozen the product should discard it.

No illness has been reported to date.

Hepatitis A is an infection caused by a virus that affects the liver. The virus is found in the stool of an infected person. It is spread when a person eats food or drinks water that has come in contact with infected stool. Infected food handlers can pass the virus on to other people if they do not wash their hands with soap and water after using the bathroom.

Hepatitis A symptoms include yellow skin or eyes, loss of appetite, fever, tiredness, stomach ache, nausea, dark coloured urine, and light or whitish coloured bowel movements. Symptoms can also be so mild that a person may not be aware that they have the disease. Illness can last for several weeks but people generally recover completely. Illness may be life threatening in the elderly or those with other chronic liver disease. Symptoms may develop 15‐50 days after exposure.

For information about free hepatitis A vaccine in your health authority if you consumed the product within the last 14 days

Northern Health:

 

A free hepatitis A vaccine can also be offered at any Overwaitea banner stores including Save‐ On‐Foods, PriceSmart Foods, Overwaitea Foods and Urban Fare. Please contact the pharmacist at any of these stores for more information.

Stores where the product was sold:

 

Save‐on‐Foods

300 ‐ 32700 S. Fraser Way (West

Oaks Mall)

 

BC

 

Abbotsford

 

V2T‐4M5

Save‐on‐Foods2388 Whatcom RoadBCAbbotsfordV3G 0C1
Save‐on‐Foods3433 North RoadBCBurnabyV3J‐0A9

 

Save‐on‐Foods

4469 Kingsway (Old Orchard

Shopping Mall)

 

BC

 

Burnaby

 

V5H 1Z9

PriceSmart Foods

4650 Kingsway

 

BC

 

Burnaby

 

V5H 4L9

Save‐on‐Foods200 ‐ 7155 KingswayBCBurnabyV5E‐2V1
Save‐on‐Foods4399 Lougheed HwyBCBurnabyV5C‐3Y7
Save‐on‐Foods46020 Yale Road (Salish Plaza)BCChilliwackV2P‐7V2
Save‐on‐Foods45635 Tamihi WayBCChilliwackV2R‐0M4

 

Save‐on‐Foods

2991 Lougheed Highway (Pinetree

Village)

 

BC

 

Coquitlam

 

V3B‐6J6

 

Save‐on‐Foods

7015 ‐ 120th Street (Scottsdale

Centre)

 

BC

 

Delta

 

V4E‐2A9

Save‐on‐Foods181 Trans‐Canada HighwayBCDuncanV9L 3P8
Save‐on‐Foods10345 100th StreetBCFort St. JohnV1J‐3Z2

 

Overwaitea

1020 10th Avenue South PO Box

409

 

BC

 

Golden

 

V0A‐1H0

Save‐on‐Foods#9 ‐ 2101 E. Trans Canada HwyBCKamloopsV2C‐4A6
Save‐on‐Foods200‐450 Lansdowne StreetBCKamloopsV2C‐1Y3
Save‐on‐Foods#10 ‐ 301 Highway 33 W.BCKelownaV1X‐1X8
Save‐on‐Foods20151 Fraser HighwayBCLangleyV3A‐4E4
Save‐on‐Foods8840 ‐ 210 StreetBCLangleyV1M‐2Y2
Save‐on‐Foods#1 ‐ 20255 ‐ 64th AvenueBCLangleyV2Y‐1M9
Save‐on‐Foods23981 Dewdney Trunk RoadBCMaple RidgeV4R‐1W1

 

Save‐on‐Foods

#116 ‐ 1700 Garcia Street PO Box

144

 

BC

 

Merritt

 

V1K‐1B8

Save‐on‐Foods400 ‐ 32555 London AvenueBCMissionV2V‐6M7

 

Save‐on‐Foods

#600 ‐ 333 Brooksbank Avenue

(Park & Tilford Gardens)

 

BC

 

North Vancouver

 

V7J‐3S8

 

Save‐on‐Foods

#161 ‐ 2111 Main Street (Cherry

Lane Shopping Centre)

 

BC

 

Penticton

 

V2A‐6W6

Save‐on‐Foods5232 Domano BlvdBCPrince GeorgeV2N‐4A1

 

Save‐on‐Foods

100, 1600 ‐ 15th Avenue

(Parkwood Plaza)

 

BC

 

Prince George

 

V2L‐3X3

 

Save‐on‐Foods

555 Central Street (Spruceland

Mall)

 

BC

 

Prince George

 

V2M‐3C6

Save‐on‐Foods3885 W. Austin RoadBCPrince GeorgeV2K‐2H7
Save‐on‐Foods555 Victoria Road PO Box 512BCRevelstokeV0E‐2S0

PriceSmart

Foods

8200 Ackroyd Road

 

BC

 

Richmond

 

V6X‐1B5

Save‐on‐Foods3000 ‐ 11666 Steveston HwyBCRichmondV7A‐5J3
Save‐on‐Foods2345 Beacon AvenueBCSidneyV8L 1W9
Overwaitea113 Red Cedar Drive PO Box 790BCSparwoodV0B‐2G0
Save‐on‐Foods1301 Pemberton (Chieftain Mall)BCSquamishV8B‐0A1
Save‐on‐Foods10312 King George BoulevardBCSurreyV3T‐2W5
Save‐on‐Foods4731 Lakelse Avenue (Skeena Mall)BCTerraceV8G‐1R5
Save‐on‐Foods#255 ‐ 2306 Highway 6BCVernonV1T‐7E3

 

Information about hepatitis A and vaccine:

https://www.healthlinkbc.ca/healthlinkbc‐files/hepatitis‐vaccine 

http://www.bccdc.ca/health‐info/diseases‐conditions/hepatitis‐a

http://www.immunizebc.ca/diseases‐vaccinations/hepatitis‐a


Do you have Questions? Talk to the community health nurse at your health centre or nursing station. You can also talk to your primary healthcare provider or go to your closest public health unit: http://www.immunizebc.ca/finder