Apples and pears on sale across the country could have been contaminated with Hepatitis A, the Ministry for Primary Industries says.
A worker at a Hawke's Bay packhouse was handling Royal Gala and New Zealand Beauty apples and Golden Queen peaches over a four-day period while infected with the virus.
The ministry said the risk of contracting the illness from the fruit, sold between February 27 and March 13, was ``relatively low''.
While some potentially affected fruit had been traced and withdrawn from sale, it was likely about 1400 cartons had been sold, ministry deputy director general Scott Gallacher said.
All the fruit was for domestic sale.