Costco Thread 2023

Taiwan Living in Taiwan
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shock! Costco’s “Kirkland Mixed Berry” has been tested for hepatitis A virus and has sold 9,427 packs (Google Translation)

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Here is the news in English:

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I finished off a bag of those a few weeks ago actually. They’re pretty good.

You’d have thought Costco would be able to notify the affected customers who bought that batch.

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How did hepatitis A get into frozen berries?

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Probably from the source… American food safety law isn’t very strong and food end up contaminated at times. There was a time when bluebell ice creams were all recalled due to contamination.

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Faeces

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Maybe from fertilizer, or sewage-contaminated irrigation canals?

It seems to be an ongoing thing from some farm(s) in Mexico.

There’s a recent U.S. FDA announcement about the same problem with strawberries, but they’re not in the three-berry blend as far as I remember (blueberries, raspberries, and blackberries) so this seems to be a different case (or the same processing facility).

https://www.fda.gov/safety/recalls-market-withdrawals-safety-alerts/updated-scenic-fruit-company-recalls-frozen-organic-strawberries-and-frozen-organic-tropical-blend

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I should mention that a lot of food processing facilities either employ illegal aliens or are based in Mexico where sanitation standards and food safety laws are even weaker or not adhered to.

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Oh it’s far crazier than that if you’re talking about food that comes into/through the US:

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The TW news I’m watching in a restaurant right now (東林) says the US FDA knew about this in March. Tomorrow is May. Looks like a super case of trying to cover things up that shouldn’t be covered up

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March was strawberries

California Splendor, Inc. Recalls Kirkland Brand Bags of Frozen Organic Whole Strawberries Distributed by Costco in Los Angeles, Hawaii, and in Two San Diego Business Centers Because of Possible Health Risk | FDA

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I just got a call from Costco Zhonghe telling me I’m one of the affected customers, asking me “if I felt anything bad”, and saying they’d give me the money back.

I already finished the bag a few weeks ago, using them “raw” and unwashed in smoothies. I guess it’s fine as long as I haven’t had any symptoms, and the risk of having any or catching anything is low in the grand scheme of things?

I don’t remember having been vaccinated against hepatitis A, but I guess I was at some point maybe 15-20 years ago. I remember getting my antibody level checked before I moved to China in 2012, and it was high enough that I didn’t need to get vaccinated.

So I guess it’s fine, yeah…? :thinking:

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You would have to get tested for hepatitis. Maybe Costco will help you pay for this

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Don’t know if it’s happening in other places, but my Costco Membership is in Australia, and I just got an email advising of a Membership fee hike of just under 10% - not bad really as I have had the card for 14 years now and this is the first rise in fee.

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There have been rumors…

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Costco Taiwan has been barred from importing berries from the United States until June 2 after frozen blueberries imported by the retail giant were found to contain the hepatitis A virus

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Nice how they fail to mention that the guy who caught hepatitis didn’t eat the Costco berries…it was another brand. :smirk:

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Told you there is this wave of bad press about Costco. Too much competition I guess.

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Yeah. The usual economic nationalism/protectionism. Local companies want to be free to ream consumers. Costco makes them look bad by having reasonable prices.

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Who is costco’s competition in Taiwan?