Walmart Recalls Popular Frozen Berry Mix Over Hepatitis A Fear

Walmart shoppers, check your freezers. The retailer has issued a recall on a frozen berry blend sold under its Great Value store brand after a supplier linked the product to a hepatitis A contamination risk. If you bought the affected bag, federal health officials say you should throw it out immediately — and depending on when you ate it, you may need a vaccine. The recall centers on Great Value Mixed Fruit, a frozen blend of strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, and raspberries sold in 16-ounce bags. According to a notice posted by the Food and Drug Administration, the product was distributed to Walmart stores in multiple states, and the supplier flagged the issue after routine testing detected hepatitis A in a sample. Hepatitis A is a highly contagious liver virus that can survive freezing temperatures, which is why frozen berries have triggered similar recalls before. Here's what makes this one worth your attention: hepatitis A isn't a stomach bug you shake off in a day. Symptoms can take up to seven weeks to appear and include fever, fatigue, nausea, stomach pain, dark urine, and yellowing of the skin or eyes. Most people recover within a few weeks, but the illness can land you in the hospital and, in rare cases, cause liver failure. The people most at risk are young children, older adults, pregnant women, and anyone with a weakened immune system. The good news is that hepatitis A is one of the few foodborne illnesses you can actually block after exposure. If you ate the recalled berries within the last two weeks, public health guidance says you should contact your doctor or your local health department about getting a hepatitis A vaccine or an immune globulin shot. Those shots can prevent illness if given soon enough. If it's been longer than two weeks, watch for symptoms and call a doctor if they show up. So how do you know if your bag is part of the recall? Start by checking your freezer for Great Value Mixed Fruit in the 16-ounce size. Then look at the lot code and best-by date printed on the back of the bag. Walmart and the FDA have published the specific codes involved, and the affected product should not be eaten even if it looks and smells completely normal. Freezing does not kill hepatitis A. Neither does a quick rinse, and cooking only helps if the berries reach a high enough internal temperature for long enough — which is not something you want to gamble on. If you have a recalled bag, don't just toss it in the kitchen trash where a pet or a curious kid might get into it. Double-bag it, seal it, and take it back to your local Walmart. The company is offering full refunds, and you don't need a receipt — just bring the product or a photo of the packaging. You can also call Walmart's customer service line if you have questions about your specific purchase. One more thing worth doing: if you shop at Walmart regularly, this is a good moment to sign up for recall alerts. The FDA and the Consumer Product Safety Commission both offer free email notifications, and stores like Walmart post recall info on their own websites. Recalls move faster than most shoppers realize, and the people who get sick are usually the ones who never heard the news until it was too late. **Our take:** A frozen berry blend is supposed to be the cheap, healthy shortcut — not a reason to call your doctor. This recall is a reminder that "store brand" doesn't mean lower risk, and that a two-week window for a vaccine is a lot shorter than the seven weeks it can take symptoms to show up. Check your freezer tonight, and if there's any doubt, throw it out and get your money back.