Frozen berry E. coli recall widens to more Walmart, Trader Joe's bags
A Chilean supplier has added five more lots of Great Value organic frozen berries sold at Walmart and one lot of Trader Joe's Organic Mixed Berry Blend to an E. coli recall. The Walmart bags went to 30 states and Puerto Rico, now including New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania. Every recalled bag has a 2028 best-by date, so check the freezer.
A frozen berry recall tied to E. coli has grown again. On Oct. 2, Chilean supplier Frutas y Hortalizas del Sur S.A. added five more lots of 10-ounce Great Value organic berries sold at Walmart and one lot of Trader Joe's Organic Mixed Berry Blend, Food World News reported, citing the company notice posted by the FDA.
The bags may still be in your freezer. Every recalled bag has a best-by date in 2028.
Here is what to check. Great Value Organic Triple Berry Blend, 10 ounces, lot codes 6 031 01 and 6 041 01. Great Value Organic Blueberries, 10 ounces, lot codes 6 019 01, 6 040 01 and 6 163 01. Those codes are on the front of the bag. Trader Joe's Organic Mixed Berry Blend, 12 ounces, lot code 6 051 01, printed on the back, with a best-before date of Feb. 20, 2028.
The Walmart bags went to 30 states and Puerto Rico. For the first time that list includes Connecticut, New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania. The Trader Joe's lot went to 26 states and Washington, D.C., including Colorado, Maryland and Delaware.
No illnesses have been tied to the new lots, and the CDC told Consumer Reports that no new illnesses have been reported. The company calls the move precautionary.
The outbreak behind it is over. The CDC declared it over on Sept. 21 at 17 illnesses in Florida and Georgia, with six people hospitalized and no deaths. It began with Publix GreenWise frozen blueberries in July.
E. coli O145 makes a toxin that can cause severe cramps, bloody diarrhea and vomiting. Some cases lead to a serious kidney problem, most often in young children, older adults and people with weak immune systems. Symptoms usually start three to four days after eating the food.
Throw the berries away or return them to Walmart or Trader Joe's for a full refund. Wash blender jars and freezer bins that held them in hot, soapy water.
What we know: Six more lots are recalled, with no new illnesses linked.
What we don't: Whether the FDA will add more lots or classify the new expansion.
Where outlets agree Food World News and Consumer Reports both report no new illnesses linked to the expanded recall.
Where they differ Food World News says the company acted on traceback information tied to the first recall, while Consumer Reports cites the FDA saying new information from an on-site foreign inspection prompted the expansion.