HEALTH & WELLNESS
Information, Prevention & Quality of Life
By Dr. Laura Méndez
Health Analyst
The Sun Post News
October 6, 2026
A bag of frozen berries purchased weeks or even months ago could remain in a family’s freezer until 2028.
That is precisely why a newly expanded food recall deserves special attention in Florida.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration updated its investigation on October 5 into an outbreak of Escherichia coli O145 linked to organic frozen blueberries.
Although the outbreak was declared over on September 21 and no new illnesses have been reported since then, additional lots of potentially contaminated frozen fruit were subsequently identified.
For families, the message is simple:
Check your freezer.
The expanded recall includes specific lots of frozen products sold under the Great Value and Trader Joe’s brands, some carrying best-by dates extending into June 2028.
And Florida has a direct connection to this outbreak.
All 17 confirmed illnesses occurred in Florida and Georgia.
Six people were hospitalized. No deaths were reported.
Which Products Were Added?
Frutas y Hortalizas del Sur S.A., a company based in San Carlos, Chile, expanded its recall on October 2 after the FDA obtained additional information during an inspection of the company’s foreign facility.
The expanded recall includes:
Great Value Organic Triple Berry Blend, 10 oz.
Lots: 6 031 01 and 6 041 01
“Best If Used By” dates: January 31, 2028, and February 10, 2028.
Great Value Organic Blueberries, 10 oz.
Lots: 6 019 01, 6 040 01 and 6 163 01
“Best If Used By” dates: January 19, February 9 and June 12, 2028, respectively.
Trader Joe’s Organic Mixed Berry Blend, 12 oz.
Lot: 6 051 01
“Best Before” date: February 20, 2028.
The Great Value products included in the expanded recall were shipped to selected Walmart stores in numerous states, including Florida.
Consumers who find an affected product should not eat it. Federal health officials recommend throwing it away or returning it to the appropriate retailer for a refund.
An Outbreak That Began in Florida
Florida’s role in this investigation went far beyond simply receiving nationally distributed products.
The Florida Department of Health notified the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in July about a cluster of E. coli O145 infections under investigation.
Interviews with patients initially pointed investigators toward GreenWise organic frozen blueberries sold at Publix as a food of interest.
The investigation subsequently expanded.
By the time the outbreak investigation concluded, epidemiologic, laboratory and traceback evidence indicated that organic frozen blueberries supplied by Frutas y Hortalizas del Sur S.A. were contaminated with E. coli O145 and had made people sick.
Investigators identified 17 patients in Florida and Georgia.
Illnesses began between May and August.
Among 13 people interviewed about what they had eaten, 11 — 85% — reported consuming frozen blueberries.
Six patients were hospitalized.
If the Outbreak Is Over, Why Does It Matter Now?
This distinction is important.
This is not a new outbreak.
The CDC closed its epidemiologic investigation on September 21, and federal officials have not identified additional illnesses since then.
What changed is the recall.
New information discovered after the outbreak investigation led to additional frozen products being identified.
That matters because frozen foods can remain in household freezers for months — sometimes years.
Unlike milk, fresh meat or other foods that are consumed or discarded relatively quickly, some of the recalled berry products have printed dates extending into 2028.
So even though the affected products may no longer be sitting on store shelves, they could still be sitting in someone’s home.
What Is E. Coli O145?
Escherichia coli refers to a large group of bacteria.
Many strains normally live in the intestines of humans and animals without causing disease.
Others can make people seriously ill.
The strain involved in this outbreak, E. coli O145, belongs to a group known as Shiga toxin-producing E. coli, or STEC.
These bacteria can cause gastrointestinal illness ranging from relatively mild symptoms to severe complications.
Symptoms can include:
severe abdominal pain and cramping;
diarrhea, which may become bloody;
nausea;
vomiting;
and, in some cases, fever.
Symptoms generally develop several days after consuming contaminated food, although they can sometimes appear as many as nine days later.
Most healthy people recover within approximately a week.
But not everyone does.
The Complication Doctors Worry About
STEC infections can occasionally cause a rare but potentially serious complication called hemolytic uremic syndrome, or HUS.
HUS can lead to kidney failure and other severe health problems.
Young children, older adults and people with weakened immune systems may face greater risks from foodborne infections.
Warning signs associated with HUS can include decreased urination, extreme fatigue and loss of the normal pink coloring inside the lower eyelids and cheeks.
Anyone who consumed a recalled product and develops symptoms consistent with an E. coli infection should contact a healthcare professional.
Severe symptoms require prompt medical attention.
Frozen Does Not Mean Sterile
The recall also provides a broader food-safety lesson.
Many consumers associate freezing with complete protection from microorganisms.
But freezing food is not the same as sterilizing it.
Low temperatures can prevent many microorganisms from multiplying, but some bacteria can survive freezing.
The risk can return when food is thawed or consumed.
This is particularly relevant for frozen berries because they are often placed directly into smoothies, yogurt, desserts and other foods without being cooked.
A contaminated product may therefore reach the consumer without undergoing a heating step capable of killing harmful bacteria.
Don’t Trust Appearance Alone
Contaminated frozen berries may look completely normal.
They do not necessarily smell bad.
They may not change color.
The package may be perfectly intact.
And the fruit may remain completely frozen.
Disease-causing bacteria do not always produce visible signs that allow consumers to recognize unsafe food.
During an official recall, lot numbers and printed dates matter far more than appearance.
If a package matches the recall information, consumers should not taste the fruit to determine whether it seems safe.
A Troubling Detail in the Investigation
The FDA’s latest update also helps explain why additional products were identified after the outbreak itself had ended.
According to the agency, the expanded recall followed new information obtained during an onsite foreign inspection.
The FDA reported that earlier in the investigation, the company had not provided all records that federal investigators had voluntarily requested.
The agency also placed products from Frutas y Hortalizas del Sur S.A. on an import alert.
That allows frozen blueberries from the company to be detained when offered for entry into the United States without federal authorities first having to physically examine every shipment.
It represents an additional preventive measure intended to reduce the possibility of potentially unsafe products entering the country.
What Happened With Publix?
The outbreak initially had an especially close connection to Florida and Publix.
During the investigation, Publix recalled GreenWise Organic Frozen Whole Blueberries and Whole Mixed Berries.
According to the FDA, a sample of GreenWise frozen blueberries collected by Publix tested positive for the same strain of E. coli that caused illnesses in the outbreak.
Those products were recalled and should no longer be available for sale.
The October expansion involves additional lots sold under the Great Value and Trader Joe’s brands.
The sequence demonstrates why foodborne illness investigations can continue evolving for months.
A single agricultural supplier or ingredient can ultimately reach consumers through different brands, packages, distributors and retailers.
What Should You Do Today?
There is no recommendation to throw away every bag of frozen blueberries or mixed berries in your home.
Federal health authorities are also not advising consumers to stop eating these fruits.
Instead, consumers should compare potentially affected packages with the brand, lot number and date information in the recall.
If there is a match, do not eat the product.
Do not taste a few berries to see whether they “seem fine.”
Throw the product away safely or return it to the retailer according to the recall instructions.
After handling recalled food, wash your hands thoroughly and clean surfaces or containers that may have come into contact with it.
Anyone who consumed an affected product and subsequently develops severe diarrhea — particularly bloody diarrhea — intense abdominal pain, vomiting or signs of dehydration should contact a healthcare professional.
The Lesson May Be Sitting in Your Freezer
Food recalls can disappear from the headlines quickly.
Frozen foods do not.
A family may buy a bag of berries, use half of it and leave the rest at the bottom of a freezer for months.
That is why this expanded recall deserves attention even though the outbreak itself has ended.
Seventeen confirmed illnesses occurred in Florida and Georgia.
Six people were hospitalized.
And additional products have now been identified with dates extending into 2028.
For Florida families, the practical advice could not be simpler:
Open your freezer. Check your frozen berries. Compare the lot numbers.
A five-minute precaution today could prevent a much longer illness tomorrow.
