New Zealand Food Safety is urging anyone who purchased Pams frozen Mixed Berries from four specific stores in the South Island to check product dates as part of a product recall due to a possible risk of hepatitis A associated with berries sourced from Serbia.
New Zealand Food Safety is supporting Foodstuffs South Island in the recall of a specific batch of Pams brand Mixed Berries with a best before date of 14/08/2024. It says the product was only available for sale from the specified stores on Saturday, 14 January 2023.
“Foodstuffs South Island Hornby Distribution Centre, in error, released 478 bags of Pams Mixed Berries following the previous recall on 4 October 2022,” said New Zealand Food Safety (NZFS) deputy director-general Vincent Arbuckle.
“Foodstuffs South Island has identified and removed most of those bags before consumers were able to buy them. However six bags have already been sold and another four are unaccounted for.
“So we are urging consumers who bought frozen berries from New World Ashburton, Three Parks New World in Wanaka, Pak‘nSave Hornby and Pak‘nSave Wainoni in Christchurch to check their freezers for the recalled product.
“Consumers, especially those with chronic liver damage, the elderly and pregnant people, should not eat frozen berries raw. Bringing them to the boil will make them safe to eat, or they can be returned to the place of purchase for a full refund,” said Mr Arbuckle.
If you have consumed any of this product and are concerned for your health, contact your health professional, or call Healthline on 0800 611 116.
“In the current hepatitis A outbreak, case numbers have steadily declined, and the Ministry of Health reported on 12 January 2023 that there were three new cases, bringing the total cases to 35,” Mr Arbuckle said.
“New Zealand Food Safety is disappointed to be informed of this error given the hepatitis A outbreak was under control. We will investigate this error and ensure Foodstuffs South Island put in place appropriate measures to prevent a reoccurrence.”
