Released on September 6, 2017
Public health officials are advising people not to consume certain products containing pineapple that may have been sold at Save-On-Foods in Yorkton.The products affected include Western Family fruit salad 198g and Western Family citrus salad 226g with a best before date of August 19.
The investigation is ongoing and additional products and stores may be identified. More information will be provided as it becomes available.
Further details are available at Save-On-Foods Product Alert website at https://www.saveonfoods.com/product-alerts/.
For more information on the broader alert, see the British Columbia Centre for Disease Control Alert at www.bccdc.ca/about/news-stories/news-releases/2017/hepatitis-a-in-western-family-brand-pineapple-chunks and the Alberta Health Services Alert at www.albertahealthservices.ca/news/Page14051.aspx. The product should not be consumed and should either be returned to the store or thrown out.
The risk to the general public is very low. No illnesses have been reported to date.
Hepatitis A is a viral infection of the liver that can be contracted by ingestion of contaminated food or water.
Symptoms usually last from one to two weeks, and can include yellow skin or eyes, loss of appetite, fever, tiredness, stomach ache, nausea, dark-coloured urine, and light or whitish-coloured bowel movements.
Illness can occur within 15 to 50 days after exposure to the virus, but usually within 28 to 30 days. People can be infectious one to two weeks before symptoms occur.
Vaccination is only effective if received within two weeks of eating the contaminated product.
Information on hepatitis A symptoms, treatment and vaccination is available by calling HealthLine at 811, or visiting Healthline online at www.saskatchewan.ca/residents/health/accessing-health-care-services/healthline and searching for Hepatitis A.
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For more information, contact:
Shirley Xie
Health
Regina
Phone: 306-787-4083
Email: Shirley.Xie@health.gov.sk.ca