New Zealand Food Safety is advising consumers, especially
those with chronic liver damage, the elderly and pregnant
people to consider extra precautions if eating frozen
berries to minimise the risk of Hepatitis A, says NZFS
deputy director-general Vincent Arbuckle.
Hepatitis A
is relatively rare in New Zealand, but in 2015 imported
frozen berries were linked to an outbreak of the
disease.
“We have recently become aware of three
cases of Hepatitis A, all of whom regularly consume imported
frozen berries and are linked through virus
genotyping.
“While there is not sufficient
information on a specific brand to initiate a targeted
product recall, the evidence from the cases and from
international experience, indicates a risk of exposure to
Hepatitis A from consuming imported frozen
berries.
“Given we are moving towards the summer
months where more frozen berries will be consumed, we
considered it appropriate to remind consumers of these
simple precautions.
“This is particularly the case
for vulnerable communities for whom the consequences of
becoming infected with the Hepatitis A virus can be
serious.”
New Zealand Food Safety is advising people
to be aware of the risks and if eating frozen berries to
take the following precautions during pregnancy, if they are
elderly or with chronic liver damage:
- briefly
boil frozen berries before eating them, or - ensure
cooking temperatures exceed 85 degree Celsius for one
minute. - wash your hands before eating and preparing
food.
New Zealand has excellent systems to
minimise risk throughout the supply chain and food
businesses are verified to ensure the proper precautions are
being taken, Mr Arbuckle says.
“In addition,
imported berries are subject to a sampling and testing
regime before being released for sale.
“However, we
will never be able to completely eliminate any food safety
risk from food for sale. That’s why we encourage consumers
to consider extra precautions at home.
“The safety
of consumers is our number one priority, and we will
continue to monitor the situation with that in mind. As part
of this, we are working with frozen berry suppliers to
ensure they are aware of potential risks and are actively
managing the issue.
“If we identify any evidence of
a wider risk we will assess and take appropriate action,
including product recalls.”
More
information
NZ Food
Safety chief executive statement
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