A new batch of 2,000 kilos of strawberries from Morocco, which arrived at the Port of Bilbao destined for another European country, has already been destroyed for being contaminated with hepatitis A. This is the second case of strawberries from this country that have the virus, probably due to having been irrigated with infected fecal water. Thanks to the Rapid Alert Network for Food and Feed (RASFF), this batch has not reached consumers.
As the Organization of Consumers and Users (OCU) explains, "hepatitis A is a fundamentally fecal-oral transmission infection", although other less common routes of transmission are parenterally, through the use of shared syringes, through sexual contact and by vertical transmission (from mothers to children).
This virus is usually detected in areas with poor sanitary conditions. For correct prevention of hepatitis A, "correct water sanitation, washing of fresh plant foods and hands and, in certain groups, through vaccination" is essential, confirms the organization.
The disease usually heals on its own and leaves no sequelae. In addition, it can sometimes go unnoticed, although some of its most common symptoms are fever, headache, gastrointestinal upset and diarrhea, lack of appetite, tiredness, dark urine, whitish stools and jaundice.
The OCU defends that strawberries "are at their best", so instead of letting them be consumed, we must learn to wash them correctly to avoid possible contamination, since they are usually eaten raw.
The organization's first tip is to "wash fruits and vegetables when they are going to be eaten and remove all damaged areas." That is, it is not recommended to wash them when they are not going to be consumed yet, for example at the time of purchasing them, but rather just before eating them.
Another suggestion from the OCU is to immerse fruit and vegetables for five minutes in drinking water with a dessert spoon of bleach (4.5 ml) for every 3 liters of water, especially if they are going to be consumed raw. It is essential that the bleach is labeled as suitable for disinfecting drinking water. After five minutes, rinse the fruit and vegetables with plenty of running water.
The latest recommendation from the OCU is to "rub the skin to remove a greater amount of residue and other possible contaminants, as long as the surface of the fruit or vegetable allows it, such as in the case of apples, pears or zucchini." Again, this advice is useful if you are going to consume the food raw and unpeeled.
Currently, there are four RASFF notifications for hepatitis: one for bivalve mollusks from Spain, another for berries from Poland and two that have occurred in relation to strawberries from Morocco. Although there is no need to be alarmed, it is advisable to stay up to date with these alerts as a precaution.
