Thames woman hospitalised after Pams frozen berries linked to hepatitis A

There are currently 12 Hepatitis A cases in the community linked to the consumption of Pams frozen berries. Photo / Archive.

Foodstuffs Own Brands Ltd is recalling some varieties of Pams brand frozen berry products as a precaution because of a possible link to recent cases of hepatitis A.

New Zealand Food Safety (NZFS) deputy director-general, Vincent Arbuckle said 12 hepatitis A cases were linked to the berries.

"So far, 8 of the 12 cases are linked by genetic sequencing, meaning they were likely exposed to the same source of the virus. Seven of the 12 cases have been hospitalised," he said.

Cheryl Morgan of Thames was the third person diagnosed with hepatitis A from the berries.

"It started with pain under my ribs, it felt like I had pulled a muscle stretching... I went to the doctors to get tests and then again two days later after it had gotten worse and I was admitted to hospital," she said.

Morgan had consumed two bags of the Pams berries up to six weeks before she had any symptoms of the disease.

"We know the virus in New Zealand is a genetic match to a virus which caused illness in Sweden in 2020 and 2021. That illness had a possible link to frozen berries from Serbia," said Arbuckle.

"The recalled products contain berries from Serbia and were reported as eaten by most of the people who have become sick," he said.

Morgan said she was suffering from severe headaches and dehydration. She was drinking five litres of water a day and was still dehydrated.

"For the first two days in hospital, I didn't know what was wrong with me... I thought I was going to die," she said.

Morgan stayed in hospital for a week and was placed on a drip. She endured numerous blood tests.

She was unable to take any medication as it could've been toxic to her diseased liver, which she described felt like it was going to explode.

The recall affects all batches and date ranges of:

• Pams Frozen Mixed Berries 500g.
• Pams Frozen Two Berry Mix 1kg.
• Pams Frozen Two Berry Mix 750g.
• Pams Frozen Smoothie Berry Mix 500g.
• Pams Raspberries 500g.
• Pams Raspberries 350g.

The products are being removed from New World, Pak'n Save and Four Square stores nationwide, and from Trents and Raeward Fresh stores in the South Island.

"We're encouraging people to look in their freezers to see if they have any of the recalled product. People who have these products at home should not eat them raw. Bringing them to the boil will make them safe, or they can be returned to the place of purchase for a full refund," said Arbuckle.

New Zealand Food Safety's advice to consumers is to:

• Briefly boil frozen berries before eating them, or if you have a thermometer at home, ensure cooking temperatures exceed 85C for 1 minute. Heated berries can be safely refrozen for later use.

• If you microwave berries, stir halfway through the cooking process to make sure they are cooked through. Microwave's settings will vary, the important thing is to ensure the berries reach boiling.

• Wash your hands before eating and preparing food.