Whole Foods in Detroit Is Probed Amid Link to Hepatitis A

Health officials in Detroit have opened an investigation into a local Whole Foods Market Inc. store over fears that two recently diagnosed cases of hepatitis A may be linked to the grocer's prepared-foods section.

Whole Foods released a statement saying that a Detroit employee who handles prepared food was diagnosed with Hepatitis A, leading the company to contact health officials and review its food logs and safety procedures.

A company spokeswoman said Whole Foods was informed by the Detroit Health Department of a second case of Hepatitis A in a person who shops at the store, though it isn't clear the person shopped there during a time period when he or she could have been infected.

"We don't know what caused either case," said Dr. Abdul El-Sayed, executive director and health officer of the Detroit Health Department. "It's highly unlikely that this will spread." He added that authorities are being cautious but that Whole Foods customers should "feel comfortable," with the grocer's wares.

"We gave preventative vaccines to all of the other food handlers and we maintained very strict protocols," he said.

Whole Foods said the diagnosed worker was "a nighttime runner" who moves food from the back of the store where it is made to where it is displayed. The worker moved prepared foods like rolled breakfast tacos and voluntarily informed Whole Foods of the diagnosis. The health department was in the store on Monday, and some workers chose to be inoculated against the illness.

"This employee did the right thing and allowed us to contact the health department in quick fashion," said Brooke Buchanan, a spokeswoman for Whole Foods.

"We are cooperating fully with the Detroit Health Department to ensure the safety of our customers and team members," Whole Food said in a statement.

Prepared foods have become an increasingly popular offering by grocers given the products' higher profit margins and consumers' increasing desire for ready-to-eat meals.

The growing prevalence of prepared foods, however, has come with increasing health safety concerns. As prepared-food offerings increase in volume and complexity, the risk of food-safety issues also grows, with supermarkets now facing safety concerns that have beset the restaurant industry for years.

Whole Foods, a trailblazer in the sale of fresh-cooked items, was recently forced to temporarily shutter one of its commercial kitchens producing fresh meals for stores. The move was a response to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's warning over safety gaps in the company's Boston-area plant.

And last year, Whole Foods recalled batches of its curry chicken salad and classic deli pasta salad from stores along the East Coast after products tested positive for a dangerous form of listeria during a routine inspection of its Massachusetts facility. The items were sold in salad bars, chefs' cases and sandwiches and wraps prepared at Whole Foods stores.

Also last year, an E.coli outbreak erupted, linked to rotisserie chicken salad made at Costco Wholesale Corp. that sickened 19 people, mostly in the western U.S. Deli foods from the Boise Co-Op, a natural-foods grocer in Idaho, were also tied to a salmonella outbreak last year that sickened nearly 300 people.

Whole Foods has long offered prepared foods in its stores. Its new chain, geared toward younger, price-savvy shoppers, 365 by Whole Foods Market, also emphasizes in-store dining.

Hepatitis A, a viral infection of the liver, is highly contagious. People typically contract it by consuming contaminated food or water or through direct contact with an infected person. It doesn't result in chronic infection and can be prevented by vaccination, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Write to Ezequiel Minaya at ezequiel.minaya@wsj.com and Jesse Newman at jesse.newman@wsj.com

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

October 20, 2016 20:45 ET (00:45 GMT)

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