Health · 12 E. coli casesFDA Raises Publix GreenWise Berry Recall to Highest Risk After 12 E. coli CasesAired August 21, 2026 at 10:40 PM UTCWritten September 7, 2026 at 9:22 PM UTCRead the write-upThis storyTranscript · LOADING0:00On August 20th, 2026, [music]0:02the recall for GreenWise frozen0:04blueberries and mixed berries sold at0:05Publix was raised to class one, the0:08highest risk [music] classification,0:09meaning there is a reasonable0:10probability that use of or exposure to0:13[music] the product will cause serious0:14adverse health consequences or death.0:16The upgrade turns a recall started weeks0:18earlier into an active warning of0:20serious [music] illness or death from0:21potential E. coli contamination. 120:23infections have been confirmed total0:25across Florida and Georgia with four0:27hospitalizations [music] and no deaths0:29reported as of July 30th, 2026. Four of0:3212 [music] hospitalized is a 33.3%0:35hospitalization rate, substantially0:37higher than the national rate for shiga0:38[music] toxin producing E. coli of about0:400.88%. Illnesses occurred between May0:4311th and June 5th, [music] 2026.0:45Fruticola Hortofruticola del Sur S.A.0:48recalled frozen GreenWise organic IQF0:50blueberries lot 60401 on July 3rd.0:53[music] Publix then recalled all lots of0:55GreenWise organic whole blueberries and0:57whole mixed berries on July 29th. The0:59FDA database records the class I1:01classification, [music] also listed as1:03tier I on August 18th, two days before1:05the upgrade report was published August1:0720th 23:51 UTC. 78% of interviewed cases1:11reported eating frozen blueberries1:13compared with 24% reporting frozen berry1:15consumption in the FoodNet population1:17survey strengthening the link between1:19the product and illness. The recall1:21covers GreenWise organic whole1:22blueberries and whole mixed berries in1:2410 oz and 48 oz sizes. While the1:26manufacturer cited lot 60401 alone, the1:29July 29th Publix action covered all lots1:32shipped to the eight-state area.1:33>> [music]1:33>> With expiration dates into 2028, bags1:36may still be in home freezers months1:37after the May to June illness window.1:39The eight states are Alabama, Florida,1:41Georgia, Kentucky, North Carolina, South1:43Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia.1:46Consumers are advised to discard the1:47berries or return them to Publix for a1:49full refund and to seek care for bloody1:51diarrhea, fever above 102°F,1:54vomiting, dehydration, and signs of1:55hemolytic uremic syndrome,1:57>> [music]1:57>> which can lead to kidney failure and1:58requires hospitalization. Contamination2:01is linked to E. coli O145:H28, [music] a2:03non-O157 Shiga toxin-producing strain2:06that causes severe gastrointestinal2:08illness, including bloody diarrhea,2:10fever above 102°, [music] vomiting, and2:12dehydration. Frozen does not mean safe,2:15and a single serving can deliver a2:16pathogen capable of bloody diarrhea,2:18vomiting, high fever, and kidney2:20failure. The true count is probably much2:22higher because many people recover2:23without medical care and testing. And it2:25usually takes 3 to 4 weeks to determine2:27if a sick person is part of an outbreak,2:29but no specific multiplier or2:31methodology has been provided, and2:33counts remain conservative lower bounds.2:35That early summary of 12 Florida cases2:37plus four Georgia hospitalizations has2:39been clarified to 12 infections total2:41across Florida and Georgia with four2:43hospitalizations total, and no2:45additional hospitalizations or deaths2:46have been reported since July 30. No2:48lawsuits, regulatory enforcement2:50actions, or demographic and outcome2:51details for the four hospitalized2:53patients have been reported. Official2:55FDA and CDC pages for this recall2:57returned 404 errors with no archived2:59version accessible, leaving the all lots3:01versus single lot scope dispute beyond3:03lot 60401 unresolved, and the3:05investigation remains open with CDC and3:07state agencies collecting data.3:10Like and follow for more stories that3:11matter.Explore with HeyDexThe shortThe short ↗