Publix widened the Fda Publix Berry Recall on July 29 after an E. coli outbreak sickened 12 people. The change covers all sizes of GreenWise Organic Whole Blueberries and GreenWise Organic Whole Mixed Berries.
Four of the 12 people were hospitalized. The berries were sold through Publix stores in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia.
GreenWise Organic Whole Blueberries
The recall started earlier in July with 10-ounce bags of GreenWise Blueberries and then grew to include all sizes of the two frozen berry products. Frutas y Hortalizas del Sur S.A. recalled GreenWise Organic Whole Blueberries on July 6, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention linked the outbreak to blueberries.
Publix had already pulled all frozen GreenWise Organic Whole Blueberries and GreenWise Organic Whole Mixed Berries from its freezer aisles at the end of June. That left a second problem for shoppers: fruit bought before then could still be sitting in home freezers.
Publix for
Freezing fruit to 0°F only pauses the growth of E. coli and does not kill the bacteria, so the product can remain risky after a long stretch in storage. Consumers who have the recalled berries are told to throw them out or bring them back to Publix for a refund.
The recall now reaches beyond one package size and into the full range of the two named products, which is the practical point for shoppers checking freezers at home. Publix's refund step gives buyers a direct exit if they still have the berries.
