The supermarket chain Publix has extended its recall of all batches of GreenWise frozen blueberries and mixed fruit blends to include all available lots, after the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) classified the recall as Class I, its highest risk level, due to potential contamination with E. coli O145:H28 bacteria.
The expanded recall is no longer limited to a specific lot, but now encompasses all four presentations of the product distributed in Publix stores across eight states: Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia.
The affected products are:
- GreenWise Organic Whole Blueberries, 10 oz — UPC 41415-06453
- GreenWise Organic Whole Blueberries, 48 oz — UPC 41415-12053
- GreenWise Organic Whole Mixed Berries, 10 oz — UPC 41415-06753
- GreenWise Organic Whole Mixed Berries, 48 oz — UPC 41415-12153
On August 18, the FDA upgraded the recall classification to Class I, indicating that there is a reasonable probability that consuming the product could lead to serious health consequences or even death.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the multistate outbreak linked to these blueberries has so far resulted in 12 confirmed cases and four hospitalizations in two states, with no reported deaths.
Cases of gastrointestinal illness were recorded between May 11 and June 5, and the epidemiological investigation traced the source of the contamination to the Chilean company Frutas y Hortalizas del Sur S.A., based in San Carlos, Chile, which supplied the blueberries.
It was precisely that company that on July 3 began an initial voluntary recall, limited to lot 60401 of the 10 oz bags with an expiration date of February 9, 2028.
The identified strain, E. coli O145:H28, belongs to the group of Shiga toxin-producing bacteria (STEC), which are regarded as the most dangerous among pathogenic E. coli.
In addition to the usual symptoms—severe stomach cramps, diarrhea with possible blood presence, and vomiting—this strain can trigger hemolytic uremic syndrome, a complication that can lead to severe kidney failure.
Symptoms usually appear between three and four days after ingesting the bacteria, and most patients recover within five to seven days without specific treatment.
Given that the product has an expiration date in 2028, authorities warn that it could remain stored in home freezers for months without consumers being alerted.
The FDA and Publix recommend not consuming any of the affected products: they should be discarded or returned to any Publix store for a full refund, no receipt needed.
Those with questions can contact Publix customer service by calling (800) 242-1227, Monday through Friday between 8:30 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time.
The initial alert regarding the contaminated GreenWise blueberries was published at the beginning of July, when the recall was still limited to a single batch; the expansion to all batches and the subsequent classification of maximum risk by the FDA significantly raises the urgency of the warning for consumers.
This is not the first recall involving Publix in recent months: in May, the chain participated in the recall of potato chips due to possible salmonella, and at the end of 2025, it was part of the mass recall of over 1.5 million bags of shredded cheese due to the risk of metal fragments in 31 states and Puerto Rico.
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