Federal health officials are urging shoppers across the South to check their freezers after an E. coli outbreak was linked to frozen organic blueberries sold under Publix’s GreenWise store brand. According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, 12 people have been sickened and four have been hospitalized in an outbreak of E. coli O145:H28 tied to the berries. No deaths have been reported.
The illnesses so far are concentrated in Florida, with 11 confirmed cases, plus one in Georgia, the FDA reported. But the recalled product was shipped much more widely — to Publix stores in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia — meaning millions of Southern households could have a bag sitting in the freezer right now. The recall drew national attention, with TODAY highlighting the eight affected states as the FDA investigation continues.
Which Product Is Being Recalled
The recall covers a single product: 10-ounce packages of frozen GreenWise Organic IQF Blueberries with lot code 60401 and a best-by date of February 9, 2028, according to the FDA recall notice. The berries were grown and packed by Frutas y Hortalizas del Sur S.A. of San Carlos, Chile, which initiated the recall on July 3 after the FDA identified the outbreak on July 1.
Because frozen berries can sit in home freezers for months or even years, health officials stress that the danger doesn’t fade with time. The best-by date on the recalled bags stretches into 2028, so a package bought in the spring could easily still be in rotation for smoothies and baking well into next year.
Why Frozen Fruit Can Still Make You Sick
Many consumers assume freezing kills germs. It doesn’t — freezing merely pauses bacterial growth, and pathogens like E. coli survive just fine at freezer temperatures. That risk is compounded by how frozen blueberries are typically used: tossed straight into smoothies, yogurt, or oatmeal without any cooking step that would destroy bacteria.
The FDA said the illnesses in this outbreak began between May 11 and June 5, 2026. E. coli O145 infections can cause severe stomach cramps, diarrhea that may be bloody, fever, nausea, and vomiting, per the agency. Most people recover within a week, but some infections can progress to hemolytic uremic syndrome, a serious complication that can cause kidney failure and is particularly dangerous for young children, older adults, and people with weakened immune systems.
What to Do if You Have These Blueberries
The FDA’s guidance is unambiguous: do not eat the recalled blueberries, even if some servings from the bag were previously eaten without anyone getting sick. Consumers should discard the product or return it to their local Publix for a full refund. The agency also recommends washing and sanitizing any surfaces, containers, or blender parts that may have touched the berries, since E. coli can cross-contaminate kitchen equipment.
Anyone who develops symptoms of an E. coli infection after eating the product — especially severe or bloody diarrhea, or signs of dehydration — should contact a healthcare provider promptly, the FDA advised. The recalling company has set up a consumer line at 336-899-5612, available weekdays during business hours, per the FDA notice.
A Rough Summer for Produce Safety
The blueberry outbreak adds to what has already been a bruising stretch for fresh and frozen produce. This month, federal and state investigators have also been working through a large multistate cyclosporiasis outbreak tied to salad greens, keeping food-safety teams unusually busy for midsummer.
Frozen fruit in particular has been a recurring culprit in recent years, precisely because it is imported in enormous volumes, blended into uncooked foods, and stored for long stretches. Food-safety experts note that outbreaks tied to frozen berries are often detected slowly for the same reason this one was: weeks can pass between purchase, consumption, illness, and the genetic fingerprinting that links scattered cases to a single lot.
For now, the practical takeaway for consumers is simple: check the freezer. Look for 10-ounce GreenWise Organic Blueberries bags, find the lot code 60401, and if it matches, throw the bag out or bring it back to Publix. The FDA said its investigation is ongoing, and case counts could still rise as more illnesses are reported and confirmed.
