New York State health officials and the FDA are urging residents to check their freezers after a hepatitis A outbreak was linked to frozen blood clams imported from Ecuador and sold under the La Serranita brand. The Food Safety News reported the FDA alert in April 2026, documenting that the first illness was reported in July 2025, with the most recent case identified in February 2026 — a span of nearly eight months that underscores a critical challenge: frozen shellfish can carry hepatitis A for a very long time, and people may consume contaminated products long after initial detection.
The implicated blood clam meat — also known as concha negra or black shell clam — was shipped from a New Jersey importer to a New York dealer and distributed within New York State. The New York State Department of Health is actively investigating the outbreak in coordination with the FDA. The long shelf life of frozen products means that the contaminated clams may still be in home freezers.
