The Food and Drug Administration upgraded a recall of frozen blueberries and mixed berries sold at Publix supermarkets to a Class I recall on August 18. Class I is the FDA's highest health risk designation, reserved for products that carry a reasonable probability of causing serious illness or death.
According to Healthline, the recall covers four GreenWise Organic products: two sizes of Whole Blueberries and two sizes of Whole Mixed Berries. The specific UPC codes are 41415-06453, 41415-12053, 41415-06753, and 41415-12153. The recall applies to all lots of these products. The FDA's action followed an initial recall issued July 3 for GreenWise Organic Blueberries sourced from Frutas y Hortalizas del Sur S.A., located in San Carlos, Chile, due to potential E. coli contamination.
All 1,413 Publix stores across eight states are affected. Those states are Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported 12 cases of E. coli linked to the products as of July 30.
Customers are urged not to eat any of the recalled products. Publix is offering full refunds for returned items. The FDA has issued guidance for consumers who may have transferred berries out of their original packaging.
"Do not try to determine whether a package is safe by tasting it. If frozen berries have been removed from their original packaging and you cannot determine whether they were recalled, FDA advises throwing them away," said Robert Glatter, MD, attending physician in the Department of Emergency Medicine at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City and an Assistant Professor of Emergency Medicine at Zucker School of Medicine.
E. coli symptoms typically develop within a few days of exposure. Most people recover without hospitalization, but some develop serious kidney complications. Young children, older adults, and people with weakened immune systems face the greatest risk of severe illness.
Warning signs that require immediate medical attention include diarrhea with a fever above 102 degrees Fahrenheit, bloody diarrhea, diarrhea lasting more than three days without improvement, vomiting severe enough to prevent keeping liquids down, and signs of dehydration such as decreased urine output, dry mouth, or dizziness when standing.
Glatter offered direct guidance for anyone who may have already eaten the recalled berries. "For consumers, the central message from this recall is straightforward: check the freezer, do not eat the recalled GreenWise berries, and seek immediate medical advice by going to the closest emergency department if fever, abdominal pain, or bloody stool develop after having eaten them," he said.
