SA Health is reminding the public not to consume 180g Creative Gourmet frozen pomegranate arils purchased from Coles, following two cases of hepatitis A in South Australia potentially linked to the recalled product.
Last month the owner of Creative Gourmet, Entyce Food Ingredients, initiated a precautionary recall of multiple best-before dates of the product because of a link to a hepatitis A outbreak in New South Wales.
SA Health’s Director of Food and Controlled Drugs, Dr Fay Jenkins, said while there are currently no laboratory results linking the two cases to the outbreak, the cases are an important reminder for consumers to dispose of any affected products.
“We know frozen goods, in particular foods like berries and pomegranate, can sometimes stay in people’s freezers for many months following their purchase,” Dr Jenkins said.
“We would ask consumers to check their freezer and dispose of 180g Creative Gourmet frozen pomegranate arils packets with any best-before date up to March 21, 2020, or return them to Coles for a full refund.
“Fresh pomegranate and frozen Australian-grown pomegranate products are not affected.”
There have been 11 cases of hepatitis A linked to the product nationally.
The South Australian cases were in a 33-year-old man and a 64-year-old woman, who were both hospitalised. The woman remains in a serious condition and the man has been discharged.
Symptoms of hepatitis A include nausea, vomiting, fever, yellowing of the skin, dark urine and pale stools, and the infection can take from 15 to 50 days to develop.
If symptoms appear, people who have eaten Creative Gourmet frozen pomegranate from Coles should consult their doctor as early as possible.
Any consumers concerned about their health should seek medical advice.