Hepatitis concern prompts warning about some Fresh Thyme Farmers Market blackberries

Updated: 12:42 p.m.

Minnesota officials are telling consumers not to eat non-organic blackberries purchased Sept. 9-13 from Fresh Thyme Farmers Market grocery stores following a multistate outbreak of hepatitis A traced to the berries.

People in Indiana, Nebraska and Wisconsin have reported becoming ill, and traceback information shows these berries came from a distribution center that ships to Fresh Thyme Farmers Market stores in 11 states, including Minnesota, the Minnesota Department of Agriculture said Thursday.

Consumers who bought the fresh blackberries and then froze them for later consumption, should not eat them and should throw them away, the agency advised.

People are urged to call their health care providers if they believe they’ve eaten these blackberries in the last two weeks, or if they think they’ve become ill from eating them.

“Although no illnesses have yet been reported in Minnesota, we are alerting consumers, out of an abundance of caution, and urging you to throw out any non-organic blackberries you purchased from Fresh Thyme Farmers Market,” Katherine Simon, the state Agriculture Department’s food and feed safety director, said in a statement.

Fresh Thyme Farmers Market said it was cooperating with all the agencies investigating and awaiting next steps.

• 'Guardian' journalists strike to protest sale of sister paper 'Observer'
• Elon Musk's more than $50 billion pay deal at Tesla was rejected again. Here is why
• Wisconsin author explores loss of mid-size farms through his own family’s story
• Cargill to lay off about 475 employees in Minnesota, 8,000 worldwide