Walmart and Trader Joe’s frozen organic berries were recalled again over toxin-producing E. coli

Frutas y Hortalizas del Sur S.A., a Chilean supplier based in San Carlos, widened its E. coli O145:H28 recall on Oct. 2, 2026, adding five lots of Walmart’s Great Value organic frozen berries and one lot of Trader Joe’s Organic Mixed Berry Blend. It is the second expansion of a recall that began in July, which is why Walmart and Trader Joe’s frozen organic berries have now been recalled again over a strain that makes Shiga toxin. Because frozen fruit keeps for months and often goes into smoothies without cooking, a bag bought in the spring can still be sitting in a freezer with a best-by date in 2028. The newest lots all carry such dates, so the practical task is checking the bag, not remembering a news story.

The lots added on Oct. 2

Two Great Value products make up five of the lots. Great Value Organic Triple Berry Blend, 10 ounces (UPC 7874211226), is recalled in lots 6 031 01 and 6 041 01, with best-by dates of Jan. 31, 2028 and Feb. 10, 2028. Great Value Organic Blueberries, 10 ounces (UPC 7874211213), covers lots 6 019 01, 6 040 01 and 6 163 01, dated Jan. 19, Feb. 9 and June 12, 2028. Together that makes the five Great Value lots.

The Trader Joe’s addition is a single lot of Organic Mixed Berry Blend in a 12-ounce bag, UPC 00977654, lot 6 051 01, best before Feb. 20, 2028. Walmart’s lot code is printed on the front of the package, while Trader Joe’s prints its code on the back, a small difference that matters when someone is squinting at frost-covered plastic in a freezer drawer. Those lots and best-by dates come from the FDA posting of the company’s announcement, which lists three products.

Distribution is wide. Great Value product went to select Walmart stores in 30 states and Puerto Rico, running alphabetically from Alabama and Arkansas through Texas, Virginia, Wisconsin and West Virginia. The Trader Joe’s lot reached select stores in 26 states and the District of Columbia, including Colorado, Delaware and Maryland, which are not on the Walmart list. Anyone who bought these brands in those places should check, whatever the store.

How the recall grew from one lot to a family of lots

The sequence began on July 3, 2026, when the supplier recalled a single lot of GreenWise Organic IQF Blueberries sold at Publix. According to the original recall notice, that 10-ounce product, lot 60401 with a Feb. 9, 2028 best-by date, had been shipped to eight southeastern states, and the company cited 12 confirmed illnesses with onset between May 11 and June 5.

The first widening came on Sept. 2, when the company added a single Great Value Organic Triple Berry Blend lot, 6040 01-6, to the list. The September expansion reported no illnesses tied to that specific lot and described the step as precautionary, based on traceback from the July recall. The October notice repeats that logic: it follows what the company calls “traceback information linked to frozen blueberries which were the subject of the first recall on July 3, 2026.” In its notice, Frutas y Hortalizas del Sur said it “is working closely with the appropriate regulatory authorities and its customers regarding this recall.” The media contact it lists is Joshua Weiss, at 336-899-5612.

What the outbreak count says, and what it does not

The recalls sit alongside a closed public-health investigation. The FDA’s outbreak investigation page counts 17 people infected with the outbreak strain in two states, Florida and Georgia, with illness beginning on May 11. Six were hospitalized, none died, and the page reports no cases of hemolytic uremic syndrome. Of 13 people interviewed, 11, or 85 percent, said they had eaten frozen blueberries.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention declared the outbreak over on Sept. 21, 2026, stating flatly, “This outbreak is over,” and noting that additional recalls occurred after the investigation closed. That sequence explains the odd feel of the October notice: no new illness drove it. Product that had been made and shipped before the problem was understood was still turning up in freezers and on shelves, and traceback kept finding more lots tied to the same supplier.

The FDA also placed the firm’s products on Import Alert 99-35, which allows frozen blueberries from the company to be detained at the border without physical examination. That limits future shipments but does nothing for bags already bought, which is why the consumer instruction remains the same as in July.

Why the toxin is the concern, and what to do with a bag

E. coli O145 is a Shiga toxin-producing strain, or STEC. The recall notice says infection can cause severe stomach cramps, diarrhea that may be bloody, and vomiting. Most healthy people recover within a week, but some develop hemolytic uremic syndrome, a serious complication that can damage the kidneys, and the risk is highest in young children, older adults and people with weakened immune systems. Those are also the groups most likely to be handed a fruit smoothie.

The instruction is direct: anyone holding a listed lot should not eat it. The notice says the product should be discarded or returned to Walmart or Trader Joe’s for a full refund. Because the lot number is the only reliable identifier, it is worth photographing the bag before throwing it out in case a refund or later question arises. The CDC adds that other frozen berries should be handled with the usual four steps of clean, separate, cook and chill. Questions to the company go to [email protected] on weekdays, and the FDA consumer line is 1-888-463-6332.

This article was produced with the assistance of AI and reviewed by Morning Overview editors prior to publication.

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