Point Cook’s Carranballac P-9 College has moved to allay parent fears after discovering its canteen had used frozen berries linked to a hepatitis A outbreak.
Some students had consumed the berries used in yogurts and jellies, but acting school director Lesley Hall said none had shown any symptoms of the illness.
One-kilogram packs of Nanna’s frozen mixed berries and raspberries, along with 300- and 500-gram packs of Creative Gourmet mixed berries, have been withdrawn from supermarket shelves and made the subject of a nationwide recall. To date, only the Nanna’s products have been found to be connected with the hepatitis A outbreak.
Ms Hall said that as soon as canteen staff realised frozen berries had been used in the yoghurts and jellies, the products were removed from sale.
It is believed less than a handful of the yogurts and jellies had been sold to pupils.
“Last Monday [February 16] we sent a letter home notifying parents,” Ms Hall said.
“Since then, we haven’t received any phone calls from concerned parents.
“When we checked the dates on the packaging, we realised the batch of frozen berries used in our canteen were not those connected with the recall.
“But we’ve been proactive in taking the appropriate steps to ensure the safety of our children.”
It was reported last week that 48 government schools across Victoria had advised the Education Department that some of their students had consumed suspect frozen
berries.
The department has not been advised of any reported cases of students with hepatitis A.
Symptoms of hepatitis A include abdominal pain, nausea, fever and chills, and yellow skin or eyes. Contact your GP if you believed you may have been affected.
