An outbreak of Hepatitis A in 11 European states may have originated in contaminated frozen berries.
A second report issued this week by the European Food Safety Authority (Efsa) said that there have been 240 confirmed outbreak cases since 2013, in Italy, France, Germany, Ireland, Norway, the Netherlands, Sweden and the UK.
It said that investigations point towards frozen berries as the vehicle for infection, but other theories such as cross contamination in a food production environment, or an outbreak strain that is widespread but undetected, cannot be ruled out.
Due to the complex processing and distribution chain of berries and long incubation period of the Hepatitis A virus, Efsa said it expects that more cases will be reported and other countries involved.
The report suggest that, given the risk to human health, countries should consider national control methods including heat treatment for frozen berries, and vaccination of those in contact with cases.
The organisation also said countries should increase communication about the risks of Hepatitis A.
Efsa confirmed that investigations into the cause of the outbreaks are ongoing and advice will updated as soon as new information becomes available.
