Frozen Chilean blueberry recall expanded over further risk of E.Coli 

After the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) closed an investigation into frozen blueberries contaminated with E. coli in September, Chilean supplier Frutas y Hortalizas del Sur S.A. expanded its July recall again to include new products. 

The order, which originally affected SKUs sold at Publix, now includes 10-OZ Great Value Organic Triple Berry Blend (lot codes 6 031 01 and 6 041 01), and 10-OZ Great Value Organic Blueberries (lot codes 6 019 01, 6 040 01 and 6 163 01) sold at Walmart stores in 30 states. The recall now also includes 12-OZ Organic Mixed Berry Blend (lot code 6 051 01), sold at Trader Joe’s stores in 26 states.  

“Recalled products should no longer be available for sale,” the FDA notice regarding the recall said, noting recalled products have “Best By” dates ending in 2028. The agency urged consumers to check their homes for any affected products and discard or return them to the place of purchase.  

Even though no new infections have been reported as of yet, an October 5th FDA update noted the recall expansion followed “new information obtained by FDA investigators during an onsite foreign inspection,” and that the Chilean company “did not provide all records [...] that the agency had asked” for when the investigation was still open. 

“This market action is taken as a precautionary measure following traceback information linked to frozen blueberries, which were the subject of the first recall on July 3, 2026,” said the exporter in an October press release announcing the recall expansion. 

In a notice posted on the Trader Joe’s website, the retailer said that the “recall is being conducted in an abundance of caution,” and that it doesn’t anticipate the mandate to affect any other Trader Joe’s products. For its part, and consulted by FreshFruitPortal.com, Walmart emphasized that it’s giving food safety the utmost priority during this process. 

“When notified of recalls, we move swiftly to remove the impacted products from our stores and implement a sales block at our registers and online,” the company said in a statement. “We are working closely with our supplier, and customers who have this should discontinue use.”

Expanded recall, no new outbreak declared

Since the first cases were reported in May and the investigation closed, the E. coli outbreak linked to frozen Chilean blueberries supplied by Frutas y Hortalizas del Sur S.A. left a tally of 17 infections and caused six hospitalizations. 

The first recall was announced in July and expanded a month later, removing frozen organic blueberries and berry mixes from shelves at Publix stores in eight states: Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia.

On September 21st, the FDA closed the investigation and declared the outbreak officially over. As a result, the agency added the Chilean company’s products to the Import Alert 99-35 list, which authorizes the detention of fresh produce at the border without physical examination. 

The FDA noted that E. coli symptoms, including severe stomach cramps, diarrhea, fever, nausea, and/or vomiting, may begin anywhere from a few days after consuming contaminated food or up to nine days later. 

The severity of the infection and the presence of certain symptoms mostly depend on the bacterial strain, but it can lead to life-threatening or chronic conditions, such as kidney failure, high blood pressure, and neurologic problems.

*All images are referential.

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