As of October 5, 2026, CDC’s page on the E. coli O145:H28 outbreak linked to frozen organic blueberries still counts 17 people sick in Florida and Georgia, 6 hospitalized and no deaths, and still says the investigation closed on September 21. What changed is one new line: “Additional recalls occurred after this investigation was closed.” The recall it points to was posted by FDA on October 2 and adds six lots of three products from the Chilean grower Frutas y Hortalizas del Sur S.A., sold at Walmart and Trader Joe’s, with best-by dates that run to June 2028.
The outbreak is over, but the berries are still in freezers.
CDC declared this outbreak over on September 21. The 17 people got sick between May 11 and August 2, 2026, 13 of them in Florida and four in Georgia, and 11 of the 13 who were interviewed remembered eating frozen blueberries. No one developed hemolytic uremic syndrome and no one died. FDA’s own samples all tested negative, but FDA disclosed at closure that Publix had tested its GreenWise frozen blueberries and found the outbreak strain in one sample. The grower is on an import alert. None of that reaches a bag that was bought in August and is sitting behind the ice cream. Frozen berries keep for years, and the recalled bags carry best-by dates in 2028, which is why the recall keeps growing after the outbreak ended.
Three Walmart and Trader Joe’s products were added on October 2.
The October 2 expansion adds Great Value Organic Blueberries for the first time, adds two more lots of the Great Value Organic Triple Berry Blend that was first recalled on September 2, and adds one lot of Trader Joe’s Organic Mixed Berry Blend. The company says the expansion is based on traceback information linked to the frozen blueberries, not on new illnesses, and the notice does not report any. Walmart lists the recall on its corporate recall page, and Trader Joe’s has posted its own notice.
| Product | Lot codes | Best-by dates | Sold at |
| Great Value Organic Blueberries, 10 oz, UPC 7874211213 | 6 019 01, 6 040 01, 6 163 01 | Jan 19, Feb 9 and June 12, 2028 | Walmart, 30 states and Puerto Rico |
| Great Value Organic Triple Berry Blend, 10 oz, UPC 7874211226 | 6 031 01, 6 041 01 | Jan 31 and Feb 10, 2028 | Walmart, 30 states and Puerto Rico |
| Trader Joe’s Organic Mixed Berry Blend, 12 oz, UPC 00977654 | 6 051 01 | Feb 20, 2028 | Trader Joe’s, 26 states and DC |
Table 1. Products added to the Frutas y Hortalizas del Sur S.A. recall on October 2, 2026. Source: FDA recall notice, read October 6, 2026. Check: 3 + 2 + 1 = 6 lots across three products.
The Walmart states are Alabama, Arkansas, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Mississippi, North Carolina, North Dakota, Nebraska, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Wisconsin and West Virginia, plus Puerto Rico. The Trader Joe’s states are Alabama, Arkansas, Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia and Wisconsin, plus the District of Columbia.
This is the fourth recall from the same grower since July.
The first recall, on July 3, covered one lot of GreenWise Organic IQF Blueberries sold at Publix in eight southeastern states. On July 29 Publix pulled every lot of its GreenWise whole blueberries and mixed berries. On September 2 the recall reached Walmart for the first time with one lot of Great Value Organic Triple Berry Blend, later described as sold in 26 states and Puerto Rico. October 2 is the fourth. I covered the Walmart expansion on this blog on September 5, the outbreak itself on Marler Blog on September 3, and the closure and the Publix positive sample at Food Poison Journal. FDA’s outbreak advisory has not been updated since September 21 and does not yet list the October 2 products, so the recall notice itself is the page to check.
E. coli O145 is a Shiga toxin E. coli, and children are the ones who get HUS.
E. coli O145:H28 belongs to the same family as E. coli O157:H7. Symptoms usually start three to four days after eating contaminated food, though the range runs from one to ten days: severe stomach cramps, diarrhea that often turns bloody, and vomiting, usually with little or no fever. Most people recover in five to seven days. About 5 to 10 percent of people with a Shiga toxin infection, most of them children under five and older adults, develop hemolytic uremic syndrome, a form of kidney failure that begins about a week after the diarrhea starts. See a doctor right away for bloody diarrhea, diarrhea lasting more than three days, a fever over 102 degrees, or a child who is urinating less than usual, is unusually pale or tired, or cannot keep liquids down. Tell the doctor about the frozen berries and ask for a stool test. Do not take antidiarrheal medicine, and do not start antibiotics unless the doctor decides they are needed, because both can increase the risk of HUS.
What to do with frozen berries in your freezer right now.
Take out every bag of frozen organic blueberries or berry blend from Walmart, Trader Joe’s or Publix and compare the lot code and best-by date on the bag to the list above and to the earlier recalls. If it matches, throw it away or return it for a full refund. Do not rinse and use it; freezing does not kill E. coli, and smoothies and overnight oats are eaten raw. Cooking berries to 160 degrees does kill the bacteria, but a bag you know is recalled is not worth cooking. Wash anything the berries touched. Questions about the recall go to the company at 336-899-5612, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Eastern, or by email at Info.foodsafety@comfrut.com.
Is the frozen blueberry E. coli recall still going on?
Yes. The outbreak investigation closed on September 21, 2026, but the recall was expanded on October 2, 2026, and CDC updated its page on October 5 to say so. The recalled bags carry best-by dates into 2028, so they can still be in freezers for a long time.
Which Great Value and Trader Joe’s frozen berries are recalled?
Great Value Organic Blueberries 10 oz, lots 6 019 01, 6 040 01 and 6 163 01; Great Value Organic Triple Berry Blend 10 oz, lots 6 031 01 and 6 041 01, in addition to lot 6040 01-6 recalled on September 2; and Trader Joe’s Organic Mixed Berry Blend 12 oz, lot 6 051 01. Publix GreenWise frozen blueberries and mixed berries of every lot were recalled in July.
What if I already ate recalled frozen blueberries?
Most people who ate them will not get sick. Watch for stomach cramps and diarrhea, especially bloody diarrhea, for ten days after eating them. If symptoms start, see a doctor, mention the recall, and ask for a stool test, which is what links an illness to an outbreak.
E. coli
E. coli O157:H7 is the pathogen that built this firm. Shiga toxin-producing E. coli, including O157:H7, O26, O103, O111, O121, O145 and other strains, cause severe stomach cramps and bloody diarrhea, and in some victims, too often children, the toxin attacks the kidneys and causes hemolytic uremic syndrome, which can mean dialysis, transplant or death.
Marler Clark, The Food Safety Law Firm, is the nation’s leading law firm representing victims of E. colioutbreaks and hemolytic uremic syndrome. The E. coli attorneys of Marler Clark have represented thousands of victims of E. coli and other foodborne illness outbreaks and have recovered over $850 million for clients. Marler Clark is the only law firm in the nation with a practice focused exclusively on foodborne illness litigation. Our E. coli lawyers have litigated E. coli and HUS cases stemming from outbreaks traced to ground beef, raw milk, lettuce, spinach, sprouts and frozen produce, against defendants that include Jack in the Box, Dole, ConAgra, Cargill and Jimmy John’s. The firm represented Brianne Kiner in the 1993 Jack in the Box outbreak, Stephanie Smith in the 2007 Cargill outbreak and Linda Rivera in the 2009 Nestle cookie dough outbreak, and it pressed USDA to declare E. coli O157:H7 and later six additional Shiga toxin-producing strains adulterants in ground beef while funding independent research on the bacteria.
If you or a family member became ill with an E. coli infection or HUS after consuming food and you are interested in pursuing a legal claim, contact the Marler Clark E. coli attorneys for a free case evaluation at 1-800-884-9840.
FAQ
What is E. coli? Escherichia coli is a large family of bacteria, most of which are harmless. Shiga toxin-producing strains such as O157:H7 and O145 make a toxin that damages the lining of the intestine and, in some people, the kidneys.
What foods cause E. coli outbreaks? Undercooked ground beef, raw milk and raw milk cheese, leafy greens, sprouts, flour, and fresh and frozen produce have all caused outbreaks, along with contaminated water and contact with farm animals.
What is HUS and is it permanent? Hemolytic uremic syndrome is kidney failure caused by Shiga toxin. Most children survive with treatment, but some need dialysis or a transplant, and many carry lasting kidney damage, high blood pressure or diabetes into adulthood.
Can I sue if I got sick from E. coli? Yes. If your infection is confirmed by a stool test and linked to a contaminated product or a recognized outbreak, you may have a claim against the businesses that grew, made, distributed or sold the food. Marler Clark offers a free case evaluation.
How long do I have to file? Every state sets its own deadline, and some are as short as one year from the illness, so contact a lawyer as soon as a diagnosis is confirmed.
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