The GreenWise frozen blueberries E. coli outbreak has sickened at least 12 people in two states, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The blueberries, which were sold at Publix stores in eight states and imported from Chile, have been recalled.
The case count by state is: Florida (11), and Georgia (1). Illness onset dates range from May 11, 2026 to June 5, 2026. Of 12 people who gave information to public health officials, four have been hospitalized, for a hospitalization rate of 33%. The patient age range is from 2 to 88 years.
Nine of these patients were interviewed by public health officials. Of those, seven, or 78%, reported eating frozen blueberries before they got sick. That percentage is significantly higher than the 24% of respondents who reported eating frozen berries in the FoodNet Population Survey. That suggests that people in this outbreak got sick from eating frozen blueberries.
Whole genome sequencing showed that bacteria from sick people’s samples are closely related genetically. This means that people in this outbreak likely got sick from eating the same food. Frozen GreenWise organic blueberries were identified as a common food item that was eaten by many of these patients..
On July 3, 2026, Frutas y Hortalizas del Sur S.A. of San Carlos, Chile recalled the frozen berries. Public has stopped selling these blueberries.
If you bought these blueberries, do not eat them, even if you plan to cook them, because of the possibility of cross-contamination. You can throw the blueberries away in a secure trash can after first double bagging them so other people can’t see them, or you can take them back to the store where you purchased them for a full refund.
If you ate these berries, monitor your health for the symptoms of and E. coli infection for the next 10 days. If children ate these berries, monitor their health for the symptoms of hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), which is a type of kidney failure more common among children under the age of five. If anyone gets sick, see your doctor. You may be part of this GreenWise frozen blueberries E. coli O145 outbreak.
If you have been sickened with a food poisoning infection, please contact our experienced attorneys for help with a possible lawsuit at 1-888-377-8900 or text us at 612-261-0856. Our firm represents clients in lawsuits against grocery stores, restaurants, and food processors.
