The Recall Desk
CriticalFDA (Food)·F-0701-2014·Announced 2013-12-11

Townsend Farms and Harris Teeter Organic Berry Blends Recalled for Hepatitis A Risk

Townsend Farms and Harris Teeter organic berry blends are recalled due to potential Hepatitis A virus contamination linked to an illness outbreak.

What this means for you

Highest-severity recall. Risk of serious injury or death is documented or strongly suspected. Stop using the product now and follow the agency's instructions.

Our severity reasoning: The agency classification is FDA Class I, and the source text explicitly links the recall to an illness outbreak, meeting the criteria for a Critical severity score.

Plain-English summary

Townsend Farms Inc is recalling Townsend Farms Organic Antioxidant Blend (3 lbs.) and Harris Teeter Organics Antioxidant Berry Blend (10 oz.) because the products have the potential to be contaminated with Hepatitis A virus. The recall is based on an epidemiological and traceback investigation conducted by the FDA and the CDC regarding an illness outbreak.

The affected products are mixes of individually quick frozen (IQF) organic berries, including dark tart cherries, pomegranate arils, strawberries, red raspberries, and blueberries. The Townsend Farms product is sold in 48 oz (3 lbs) plastic bags, while the Harris Teeter product is sold in 10 oz (283 g) plastic bags. The recall covers 504,060 retail packages of the 3 lb. Townsend Farms product and 6,300 retail packages of the 10 oz. Harris Teeter product.

The product was distributed from Townsend Farms to consignees' distribution centers in Arizona, California, North Carolina, Utah, and Washington. Specific lot codes and best-by dates are detailed in the official recall notice. Consumers should check their freezers for these specific products and follow the instructions provided by the recalling firm or the FDA regarding disposal or return.

The recalled product

Product
The Costco product is sold under brand name Townsend Farms Organic Antioxidant Blend - The product is a mix of IQF organic berries, specifically; dark tart cherries, pomegranate arils, strawberries, red raspberries, and blueberries. The product is packaged into plastic bags with
Manufacturer
Townsend Farms Inc

Is your product affected?

Check your packaging against the codes below. If any of them match, the product is part of this recall.

Lot numbers (7)

  • followed by a letter and BEST BY from T122114 sequentially through T053115
  • 053115 = a two year best by date from the day it was manufactured
  • Letter = a two hour window of production
  • Harris Teeter Organic Antioxidant Berry Blend - T = Townsend
  • 041613 = the date the product was produced
  • C or E = a two hour window of production
  • BEST BY 101614 = 18 month best by date.

Distribution

Distributed in 5 states: