Urgent recall of imported dates after Hepatitis A outbreak
An urgent recall on imported dates is in place after the product was linked to several cases of Hepatitis A.
The NSW Food Authority has recalled Picky Eaters Pty Ltd 1kg and 5kg packs of Jordan River dates, pulling the popular snack from supermarket shelves across NSW.
The products, which have an expiry date of June 2022, were sold at IGA and Independent supermarkets across NSW and online.
The recall is in place after a potential microbial Hepatitis A contamination was detected.
Three people in NSW have since contracted the disease. All are linked to the consumption of the fresh Medjool dates from the company.
What consumers should do
Consumers who had purchased the fresh Medjool dates are being warned to stop eating them and dispose of them immediately.
“People who have eaten Jordan River Dates brand of fresh Medjool dates should watch out for symptoms and consult their local doctor as early as possible if symptoms appear,” NSW Health epidemiologist and Manager of Enteric Diseases, Keira Glasgow said.
“Hepatitis A is caused by a virus which affects the liver. This can cause symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, fever, and yellowing of the skin, dark urine and pale stools.
"Symptoms of hepatitis A take from 15 to 50 days to appear after eating a contaminated product.”
While most people infected with Hepatitis A see symptoms ease within a few weeks, some do need hospital treatment.
“Those who have consumed the product in the past two weeks may benefit from hepatitis A vaccination, if not already protected,” Ms Glasgow said.
Food Standards Australia advises any consumers concerned about their health should seek medical advice from their doctor.
Consumers should return the product to the place of purchase for a full refund.
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The strain is new to Australia
NSW Health reports that genetic testing of those infected by consuming the dates revealed a unique strain of hepatitis A, not previously detected in Australia.
The strain is similar, however, to a hepatitis A outbreak in the United Kingdom earlier this year, which was also found to be linked to fresh Medjool dates imported from Jordan.
Of the three current cases linked to the Australian dates outbreak, two cases were unvaccinated, one reported being vaccinated but this could not be verified.
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