Health Department: Don't Eat Strawberries Purchased Through Softball Fundraisers

The death of an 8-year-old boy has prompted the Todd County (Ky.) Health Department to issue a food safety alert, warning citizens to not eat any strawberries purchased through a high school softball fundraiser.

As reported by Bowling Green ABC affiliate WBKO, citing health department information, 125 flats of strawberries supplied by Juicy Fruit LLC, Southern Grown and Sizemore Farms were distributed through a fundraiser at Todd County Central High School. The food safety alert is being announced based on information from the Hopkins County Health Department.

The parents of an 8-year-old boy in Hopkins County told Madisonville told police that their son died having  “eaten several strawberries from a school fundraiser the night before.”

After the boy’s death, the Hopkins County Health Department issued a warning for the strawberries.

“Dr. Christopher Kiefer, Medical Examiner, said the incident involving strawberries looks like an isolated allergic reaction,” Denise Beach, director for the Hopkins County Health Department, stated on Facebook. “He relates that this is a preliminary report, so we still advise not eating the strawberries currently.”

According to a release from the Hopkins County Health Department, the strawberries were purchased at the school fundraiser for Madisonville North Hopkins High School and Hopkins County Central High School athletics.

There were 443 flats distributed by North and 535 flats distributed by Central; these were also distributed by Juicy Fruit LLC, Southern Grown and Sizemore Farms.

“Currently, the Department of Public Health Environmentalists are taking samples of the strawberries to the state lab for testing,” according to the Hopkins County department.