FDA’s Highest Alert: Are These in Your Freezer?

Binder clip holding stacked papers labeled FDA recall — Photo: Hadayeva Sviatlana / Shutterstock

The Food and Drug Administration raised a Publix frozen blueberry and mixed berry recall to its highest-risk level after federal investigators tied the products to an E. coli O145:H28 outbreak.

At a Glance

Publix recalled all lots of GreenWise Organic frozen blueberries and mixed berries sold in eight states.
Federal health officials linked the products to a multistate E. coli O145:H28 outbreak.
The Food and Drug Administration classified the recall as Class I, its highest risk tier.
Illnesses rose from 12 to 17 over the summer; six people were hospitalized.

What Triggered The Highest-Risk Warning

The Food and Drug Administration said frozen organic blueberries supplied by Frutas y Hortalizas del Sur S.A. may be contaminated with E. coli O145:H28 and linked the fruit to people getting sick across multiple states. Publix first recalled one lot, then expanded the action to all lots of GreenWise Organic Whole Blueberries and Whole Mixed Berries after investigators tied illnesses to the supply chain. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advised people not to eat, sell, or serve the recalled berries.

Federal officials use the Class I label when there is a reasonable probability a product could cause serious health harm or death. Upgrading this recall to Class I moves it from a store notice to a stop-everything warning that should reach homes, restaurants, and food banks. That shift matters with frozen berries because they can sit in freezers for years. The Food and Drug Administration and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention say these products may still be in home freezers and should be discarded or returned.

Who And What Is In The Recall

Publix’s recall covers GreenWise Organic Whole Blueberries 10-ounce and 48-ounce bags and GreenWise Organic Whole Mixed Berries 10-ounce bags, with named Universal Product Codes listed by the Food and Drug Administration. The recalled items were sold in Publix stores across eight states, and some bags have best-by dates reaching into 2028, which raises the odds that consumers still have them at home. The named supplier is Frutas y Hortalizas del Sur S.A., based in San Carlos, Chile.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports the outbreak strain as E. coli O145:H28, a Shiga toxin-producing strain that can cause severe stomach cramps, diarrhea, and dehydration. Older adults, young children, and people with weak immune systems face the highest risk of severe illness or complications. A small caveat applies: recall language uses “may be contaminated,” which is common when officials act on strong epidemiology and traceback before public lab confirmations catch up.

How The Timeline Escalated

Illnesses tied to this outbreak began in May. Publix initiated a limited recall in early July, then widened it on July 29 to include all lots of the listed frozen blueberries and mixed berries after more data connected cases to the product line. The Food and Drug Administration then classified the recall as Class I in mid-August, reflecting the risk profile of the outbreak strain and the frozen distribution pattern. By early September, officials reported 17 illnesses and six hospitalizations, with no deaths.

FROZEN BERRY OUTBREAK REACHES FDA’S HIGHEST RISK LEVEL

This one may still be sitting in freezers across America.

An E. coli outbreak linked to frozen organic blueberries has now reached the FDA’s most serious recall classification.

12 people have been sickened and 4… pic.twitter.com/972k9RUTM9

— Michael Bradbury (@MrMBB333) August 22, 2026

The Food and Drug Administration and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention say the link rests on patient interviews and traceback records that pointed to organic frozen blueberries from the named supplier. That is a standard playbook for frozen produce. When investigators see the same brand or supplier pop up across states, they act to get risky food off shelves and out of kitchens fast. That approach protects families first and sorts out finer lab details later.

What To Do Now, And Why It Matters

Consumers should check their freezers for GreenWise Organic Whole Blueberries and Whole Mixed Berries, match the product names and Universal Product Codes listed by the Food and Drug Administration, and throw the bags out or return them to Publix for a refund. Wash hands and any surfaces that touched the berries. If anyone in the home has severe stomach cramps or bloody diarrhea after eating frozen berries, contact a doctor and mention the recall. Time matters with dehydration and high-risk patients.

Retailers and food-service operators should isolate recalled stock, hold it from sale or service, and follow the Food and Drug Administration’s disposal or return steps. The most conservative path aligns with common-sense safety and the limited-government principle that prevention beats emergency response. Class I recalls are not press-release theater; they are a warning that the risk-to-benefit ratio has flipped hard against keeping the product around. Families, not bureaucracies, live with the costs when a freezer bag slips past the warning.