Another organic product, another Shiga toxin-producing E. coli outbreak, and another family who did nothing wrong except buy blueberries at their neighborhood grocery store.
The FDA and CDC, along with state and local partners, are investigating a multistate outbreak of E. coli O145:H28 infections linked to frozen GreenWise-brand organic blueberries recalled by Frutas y Hortalizas del Sur S.A. of San Carlos, Chile. As of the July 6, 2026 update, there are 12 confirmed cases, 4 hospitalizations, and no deaths across two states. The illnesses are concentrated in Florida, with a single case reported in Georgia.
Our firm has been retained by one of those Florida families. A young boy and his grandmother both fell ill after eating the blueberries — the kind of case that has haunted me since 1993, because the very young and the elderly are precisely the people whose bodies are least equipped to fight off E. coli O145. When people ask me why I still do this work after thirty-plus years, this is the answer: it is always a child and a grandmother, never the company that shipped the contaminated product.
Link to What the government has told us so far What the government has told us so far
On July 1, 2026, the Florida Department of Health notified CDC about an ongoing investigation into a cluster of E. coli O145 illnesses. Based on interviews with sick people, frozen GreenWise-brand organic blueberries sold at Publix were identified as the leading food item of interest. Florida shared those findings with Publix headquarters, and Publix immediately conducted an internal stop sale of the product at its stores.
The epidemiology points hard at these berries. Seven of nine cases interviewed reported eating frozen blueberries, and of those, five specifically named GreenWise-brand organic frozen blueberries purchased from Publix. Illnesses started on dates ranging from May 11, 2026 to June 5, 2026.
Link to The recall The recall
On July 3, 2026, Frutas y Hortalizas del Sur S.A. recalled the frozen GreenWise-brand organic blueberries, sold in 10-ounce packages with a printed lot code of 60401 and a Best By date of February 9, 2028. The recalled product was shipped to Publix stores in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia. Consumers should check their freezers and either throw the product away or return it. If you froze berries without the original packaging and can’t tell whether they are part of the recall, throw them out.
Link to A word about O145 and HUS A word about O145 and HUS
O145 is one of the “big six” non-O157 Shiga toxin-producing E. coli serogroups, and it is every bit as dangerous as the O157:H7 strain most people have heard of. These infections can cause severe bloody diarrhea and lead to life-threatening conditions such as hemolytic uremic syndrome — a type of kidney failure — as well as high blood pressure, chronic kidney disease, and neurologic problems. In children, HUS is the leading cause of acute kidney failure. Four people are already hospitalized in an outbreak this small — that is a sobering ratio, and it tells you how virulent this strain is.
Link to When to see a doctor When to see a doctor
If you ate these blueberries and you or a family member develops diarrhea with a fever over 102°F, diarrhea lasting more than three days, bloody diarrhea, or so much vomiting that you can’t keep liquids down — or signs of dehydration like not urinating, dry mouth, or dizziness on standing — call your doctor. Ask to be tested for Shiga toxin-producing E. coli and mention the blueberries. That detail can save critical time.
Link to The bigger picture The bigger picture
This is imported organic produce, contaminated somewhere between a farm in Chile and a freezer in Florida, sold under a trusted store brand to families who assumed “organic” meant “safe.” Organic says nothing about microbial contamination. Frozen fruit gets a pass in a lot of kitchens because people assume freezing kills pathogens — it does not. Freezing preserves E. coli just as well as it preserves the fruit.
FDA and state partners are still working to pin down where in the supply chain the contamination occurred.