A frozen berry recall that many shoppers thought was finished has grown again, and this time it reaches Walmart’s Great Value bags in 30 states and one Trader Joe’s blend in 26 states.
Story Highlights
- On Friday, October 2, the Chilean supplier Frutas y Hortalizas del Sur S.A. added more lots of frozen organic berries to its recall, the Food and Drug Administration posted.
- The new bags are Great Value Organic Blueberries, Great Value Organic Triple Berry Blend and Trader Joe’s Organic Mixed Berry Blend.
- The move came eleven days after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention declared the outbreak over on September 21.
- Seventeen people got sick and six went to the hospital. No one died.
Why the Recall Grew After the Outbreak Ended
The company said it widened the recall because of traceback information tied to the frozen blueberries from its first recall on July 3. Traceback means following a food back through the supply chain to see where else it went. That work turned up more lots packed for Walmart and Trader Joe’s. The concern is E. coli O145, a strain of bacteria that can cause severe stomach cramps, vomiting and diarrhea that may be bloody.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention closed its investigation on September 21. It counted 17 illnesses in two states, Florida and Georgia, with people getting sick between May 11 and August 2. Eleven of the 13 people interviewed said they had eaten frozen blueberries. An outbreak being over means new illnesses stopped. It does not mean every bag is out of home freezers, and these berries carry best-by dates into 2028.
What to Look For on the Bag
The lot code is the string of numbers printed on the bag that shows which batch it came from. Great Value Organic Blueberries, 10 ounces, are recalled with lot codes 6 019 01, 6 040 01 and 6 163 01, and best-by dates of January 19, February 9 and June 12, 2028. Great Value Organic Triple Berry Blend, 10 ounces, is recalled with lot codes 6 031 01 and 6 041 01, and best-by dates of January 31 and February 10, 2028. Walmart sold them in 30 states and Puerto Rico.
Trader Joe’s Organic Mixed Berry Blend, 12 ounces, is recalled with lot code 6 051 01 and a best-before date of February 20, 2028. It went to stores in 26 states and Washington, D.C. Anyone with a matching bag should not eat it. The company said to throw it away or take it back to Walmart or Trader Joe’s for a full refund. Wash hands and any surface the berries touched.
How It Started in July
The first recall, on July 3, covered one lot of GreenWise organic frozen blueberries sold at Publix, a grocery chain in the Southeast. On July 29, Publix recalled all of its GreenWise organic frozen blueberries and mixed berries, and the supplier added a Great Value berry blend in early September.
Young children, older adults and people with weak immune systems face the highest risk from this kind of infection. Symptoms can lead to dehydration. Anyone who ate the berries and has severe symptoms, or symptoms that last more than a few days, should call a doctor. Federal officials have also placed frozen blueberries from the Chilean plant on an import alert, which lets inspectors hold shipments at the border.
Sources:
abc7chicago.com, fda.gov, cdc.gov, wgcu.org, wral.com
