Costco is on the ball. I stopped buying these because of the pomegranate nibs in them, and I'm glad I did.
"PHOENIX -
"The Food and Drug Administration is investigating an outbreak of Hepatitis A linked to a frozen organic berry mix from a farm in Oregon and sold at Costco.
"The FDA and the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Friday that 30 illnesses are linked to Townsend Farms Organic Anti-Oxidant Blend, which contains pomegranate seed mix. Illnesses were reported in Colorado, New Mexico, Nevada, Arizona and California.
"Five lab-confirmed cases of hepatitis A linked to the berries have been reported in Maricopa County -- 7 in Arizona -- according to Maricopa County Public Health.
"Hepatitis A is a contagious liver disease that can last from a few weeks to a several months. It is spread when a person ingests, even in tiny amounts, contaminated fecal matter.
"The FDA said it is inspecting the processing facilities of Townsend Farms of Fairview, Ore., which sold the mix.
"Hepatitis A illnesses occur within 15 to 50 days of exposure to the virus. Symptoms include fatigue, abdominal pain, jaundice, abnormal liver tests, dark urine and pale stool.
"Vaccination can prevent illness if given within two weeks of exposure, and those who have already been vaccinated are unlikely to become ill, according to CDC.
"A lawyer for Townsend Farms has not returned calls for comment. The government has not announced a recall, but the CDC recommended that retailers and other food service operators should not sell or serve Townsend Farms Organic Anti-Oxidant Blend.
Costco has pulled the product from its shelves."
personally, when i saw the fresh pomegranate nibs for sale, I didn't buy them. All I could think was how much they had been handled. EW
When I saw them in the frozen mix, I wasn't happy either. I was glad when they made a bag without them. I was getting some and another person was complaining about the price of the bag with the pom nibs and I told him about the other bag without them. He switched.
Mak, When I first read you wouldn't buy the pom bag, I wondered if there was something wrong with Pom (which my kids and I eat fresh every day when it's in season.) Glad to know i t was an ick issue. I often find that organics come from far away, which isn't great for anything...
oh, maybe I wasn't clear. In the produce department, they have boxes of fresh whole pomegranates, and for those who can't bother with them, they have plastic containers full of nibs from the pomegranate, ready to eat. I looked at them and saw germs!!! Way too much handling! I bought the whole fruit and enjoyed the process myself.
I always think about the story of Persephone who was kidnapped by Hades who took her to his home in hell, and while she was in hell, she ate pomegranate nibs, and as a result she had to stay in hell as Hades' wife for part of the year. The story is used in Greek mythology to explain why we have seasons. While she is in hell, crops will not grow.
I love that story, too. There are so many interpretations. One is that she wasn't raped but rather chose to leave her mother for an exciting new life with a hot guy. I admit I liked this version better when I was only a daughter -- now that i'm a mother, I want her to stay in the garden forever!
well, about the hep scare, my hubs and I both enjoyed the berry mix with pom nibs in it, and neither of us got hep a. I am vaccinated, he is not. I'd say the chances of it happening are remote. maybe localized to a certain shipment.
"PHOENIX -
"The Food and Drug Administration is investigating an outbreak of Hepatitis A linked to a frozen organic berry mix from a farm in Oregon and sold at Costco.
"The FDA and the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Friday that 30 illnesses are linked to Townsend Farms Organic Anti-Oxidant Blend, which contains pomegranate seed mix. Illnesses were reported in Colorado, New Mexico, Nevada, Arizona and California.
"Five lab-confirmed cases of hepatitis A linked to the berries have been reported in Maricopa County -- 7 in Arizona -- according to Maricopa County Public Health.
"Hepatitis A is a contagious liver disease that can last from a few weeks to a several months. It is spread when a person ingests, even in tiny amounts, contaminated fecal matter.
"The FDA said it is inspecting the processing facilities of Townsend Farms of Fairview, Ore., which sold the mix.
"Hepatitis A illnesses occur within 15 to 50 days of exposure to the virus. Symptoms include fatigue, abdominal pain, jaundice, abnormal liver tests, dark urine and pale stool.
"Vaccination can prevent illness if given within two weeks of exposure, and those who have already been vaccinated are unlikely to become ill, according to CDC.
"A lawyer for Townsend Farms has not returned calls for comment. The government has not announced a recall, but the CDC recommended that retailers and other food service operators should not sell or serve Townsend Farms Organic Anti-Oxidant Blend.
Costco has pulled the product from its shelves."
When I saw them in the frozen mix, I wasn't happy either. I was glad when they made a bag without them. I was getting some and another person was complaining about the price of the bag with the pom nibs and I told him about the other bag without them. He switched.
I always think about the story of Persephone who was kidnapped by Hades who took her to his home in hell, and while she was in hell, she ate pomegranate nibs, and as a result she had to stay in hell as Hades' wife for part of the year. The story is used in Greek mythology to explain why we have seasons. While she is in hell, crops will not grow.