A family from Florida filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Publix and the distributor Quirch Foods, claiming that a woman died and her son was hospitalized after consuming frozen blueberries GreenWise Organic sold by the supermarket chain.
According to a report by FOX 35 Orlando this Thursday, the lawsuit claims that Karla Mullins fell ill after eating frozen blueberries purchased at a Publix store on Ulmerton Road in Largo.
Her son consumed the same product and also fell ill, to the point of requiring hospitalization, the source indicated.
Mullins passed away on June 20, according to the lawsuit. Her husband and son are now claiming damages from Publix and Quirch Foods, a company identified in the litigation as the intermediary distributor.
The lawsuit holds both companies accountable for what it describes as a defective and dangerously contaminated product.
The law firm Morgan & Morgan, which represents the family, stated that Mullins "strongly should be alive today" and announced that it will seek to hold the companies accountable for allowing the product to reach consumers.
The relationship between blueberry consumption and Mullins' death is part of the allegations included in the lawsuit and does not currently constitute a judicial determination or an official conclusion from health authorities.
What federal authorities have confirmed is that the frozen organic blueberries supplied by Frutas y Hortalizas del Sur S.A., from Chile, were linked to a multistate outbreak of E. coli O145.
The CDC also reported that a sample of GreenWise blueberries analyzed by Publix tested positive for the same strain identified among the sick individuals.
In its final update on September 21, the CDC declared the outbreak over, with 17 confirmed cases in two states, six hospitalizations, and no officially recorded deaths. The illnesses began between May 11 and August 2.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) indicated that the Florida Department of Health reported on July 1 a cluster of E. coli O145 infections and that, based on interviews conducted with the affected individuals, the GreenWise blueberries sold at Publix were identified as the primary food under investigation.
The Chilean supplier initially recalled a batch of GreenWise Organic Whole Blueberries on July 3. Later, on July 29, Publix expanded the recall to include all batches of GreenWise Organic Whole Blueberries and Whole Mixed Berries in 10 and 48 ounce sizes.
The products had been distributed in Florida, Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia.
The recall was later classified at the highest risk level. In August, it was already reported that Publix had extended the recall of frozen blueberries and GreenWise frozen mixes to all available lots, after the FDA classified the measure as Class I due to the potential risk of contamination with E. coli O145:H28.
The investigation was later expanded to other products from the same supplier. The FDA reported in September that Frutas y Hortalizas del Sur S.A. had extended the recall to a batch of Great Value Organic Triple Berry Blend sold at Walmart, distributed in 26 states and Puerto Rico.
Related videos:
Filed under: