Blueberries recalled over E. coli risk
Archived — this story has rotated out of today’s deck. It is kept here in full.
The gist
FDA upgraded Publix's GreenWise frozen blueberry recall to Class I after E. coli sickened 12 and.
Consumers in eight Southeastern states should check freezers and discard affected berries to avoid.
Background
The recall began in late June when Publix internally stopped sale of certain frozen berries, and on July 3 the Chilean supplier Frutas y Hortalizas del Sur S.A. recalled a single lot after a presumptive positive E. coli test. Publix expanded the recall on July 29 to all lots of GreenWise Organic Whole Blueberries and Whole Mixed Berries after traceback and epidemiological review. The FDA then classified the recall as Class I, its highest risk level, meaning there is a reasonable probability of serious health consequences or death. The outbreak strain is E. coli O145:H28, a Shiga toxin-producing type that can cause severe illness and, in rare cases, kidney failure.
How it unfolded
- end of June 2026Publix conducted an internal stop-sale of the affected frozen berry products.
- Jul 3, 2026Chile-based Frutas y Hortalizas del Sur S.A. recalled a single lot of GreenWise Organic Blueberries after a presumptive positive E. coli test.
- Jul 29, 2026Publix expanded the recall to all lots of GreenWise Organic Whole Blueberries and Whole Mixed Berries.
- Aug 19, 2026FDA classified the recall as Class I, its highest risk level, after 12 illnesses and 4 hospitalizations were reported.
Who’s saying what
- Official
- FDA and CDC urge consumers to discard or return recalled berries, as Class I means a reasonable probability of serious health consequences or death.
Still unverified
The exact number of affected units (44,994) is from an FDA enforcement report, but the total number of consumers who may have purchased the berries is not confirmed.