At least twelve people in the Netherlands have been infected with hepatitis A after consuming frozen blueberries sold by Dutch supermarket chain Albert Heijn.
NOS reported that at least 120,000 customers have received an email advising them not to eat frozen blueberries from kilo bags. This only concerns online purchases from the past six months. It is not clear how many bags have been sold in the store.
So far one person has filed a claim for damages.
Hepatitis A is an inflammation of the liver that can cause mild to severe illness. The hepatitis A virus (HAV) is transmitted through ingestion of contaminated food and water or through direct contact with an infectious person.
The Albert Heijn chain has been criticised online after it only apologised “for the inconvenience” when the case was more serious and involved a contagious disease.
According to the Dutch Public Health Institute (RIVM), hundreds of people are likely to have been infected.
The affected product
On its website, Albert Heijn said that the hepatitis A-infected blueberries were sold in a 1kg bag and have an expiration date of 14-4-2026 and before. Consumers are urged not to eat the product and instead return it to an Albert Heijn store where they will receive a refund.
This is not the first time that Albert Heijn has been selling hazardous food in recent months. In November 2024, Albert Heijn also had to recall their red grapes because of a safety concern.