Strawberries for sale a Mahabaleshwar by Tarun.real via Wikipedia.Updated Aug. 23 at 10:30 p.m.:
According to the Tropical Smoothie Café in Sowder Village Square, Manassas, and The Shops at Stonewall, Gainesville, their restaurants were informed of the health concern, Aug. 6, and discarded their strawberries that day.
After Aug. 6, all strawberries would have been sourced from a different supplier, and would not pose any possible health threats.
Original Story:
The Virginia Department of Health is investigating multiple cases of hepatitis A and has identified a potential connection with strawberry smoothies from Tropical Smoothie Café.
According to the VDH, genetics testing in people who have gotten ill show a strain a hepatitis A that has previously been linked to strawberries from Egypt. Upon learning about the connection, Tropical Smoothie Café has pulled all those strawberries from their stores.
VDH is warning customers who consumed a smoothie that contained strawberries from any Tropical Smoothie Café in Virginia between August 5-8 that they may still benefit from a vaccine or immune globulin to prevent hepatitis A.
Those who have already received the vaccine should be immune.
The VDH is looking into other restaurants that may have also received the same frozen strawberries. They are asking anyone who consumed a smoothie with frozen strawberries at a restaurant within the 50 days to watch for symptoms and seek medical attention if an illness occurs.
In a video message to customers posted on the company's website, Tropical Smoothie Café CEO Mike Rotondo assured customers that Tropical Smoothie Café immediate removed the Egyptian strawberries from all of their restaurants, and they are now sourcing their strawberries from elsewhere.
“We take this issue very seriously. Your health and your safety is our top priority,” Rotondo said. “We want you to have confidence that we source high quality products so that you will come back and visit us very soon.”
According to the Food Safety announcement issued by Tropical Smoothie Café, Egyptian strawberries represents a fraction of their overall strawberries purchased; however, they were distributed to stores in the Virginia market. In response, the pulled their Egyptian strawberries from all of their cafés.
The website noted that the smoothie franchise has not been implicated in any way because of its food handling practices, and that it is a single product issue, the product being strawberries.
“Our primary concern is for the safety and well-being of our guests and crew members and we will continue to cooperate with health authorities,” said the Food Safety notice on the Tropical Smoothie Café website.
Information about hepatitis A can be found below.
http://www.vdh.virginia.gov/epidemiology/epidemiology-fact-sheets/hepatitis-a/
More information on the Virginia outbreak can be found below.
http://www.vdh.virginia.gov/news/public-relations-contacts/news-releases/2016-statewide-news-releases/health-officials-warn-of-increased-hepatitis-a-risk/
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