Urban Remedy Recalls Strawberry Tea Over Possible Link To Hepatitis A Outbreak

A strawberry tea has been recalled over its possible connection to strawberries potentially contaminated with Hepatitis A.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in a notice posted said, Urban Remedy is voluntarily recalling Organic Revitalizing Tea Tonic Strawberry Hibiscus Rose “because it has the potential to be contaminated with hepatitis A”.

“Imported fresh organic strawberries have been identified as a potential source of that outbreak,” the FDA said.

The product, co-manufactured by Youngstown Grape Distributors Inc., runs a risk of contamination because it “may contain fresh organic strawberries linked to the FDA outbreak investigation of FreshCampo Organic Strawberries,” the recall notice continued.

According to the recall notice, the organic tea was sold in 12 oz. bottles in stores in 23 states — Arizona, California, Colorado, Illinois, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, Nebraska, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin, and Wyoming — between May 17 and May 29 of this year.

The product’s best date is July 17th, 2022.

Currently, the potentially affected FreshKampo and HEB products are past shelf life. People who purchased FreshKampo and HEB fresh organic strawberries between March 5, 2022, and April 25, 2022, and then froze those strawberries for later consumption should not eat them,” the FDA said in late May.

“At Urban Remedy, food safety is our company’s top priority,” Urban Remedy CEO Paul Coletta said in a statement.

Coletta says the company is “committed to keeping its consumers informed and is asking those who have purchased a product with an affected lot number or dispose of the item to return it to the place of purchase for full credit.”

Urban Remedy says anyone who bought the product should not drink it. If you do consume the tea, the company recommends you “consult your health care provider or local health department to determine if a vaccination is appropriate.”

It comes as federal and state health officials continue to investigate an outbreak of hepatitis A infection linked to fresh organic strawberries imported from Baja California, a state in Mexico, and sold under the brands Freshcampo and HEB.

Urban Remedy says anyone who bought the product should not drink it. If you do consume the tea, the company recommends you “consult your health care provider or local health department to determine if a vaccination is appropriate.”

Hepatitis A is a contagious virus that can cause liver disease, according to the FDA. In rare cases, it can progress to liver failure.

According to the FDA, the illness usually occurs within 15 to 50 days after eating or drinking contaminated food or water.
Symptoms of Hepatitis A infection include fever, headache, fatigue, loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, jaundice, dark urine, or pale stool. In some instances, particularly in children under the age of six, Hepatitis A infection may be asymptomatic.