WASHINGTON — Consumers are being urged to check their freezers after a frozen berry product sold at Walmart stores in multiple states was recalled because of possible E. coli contamination.
Frutas y Hortalizas del Sur S.A., based in Chile, has expanded an earlier recall to include one lot of Great Value Organic Triple Berry Blend. The affected 10-ounce bags contain strawberries, blackberries and blueberries.
According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the product may be contaminated with E. coli O145:H28, a strain of Shiga toxin-producing E. coli that can cause serious illness.
How to Identify the Recalled Berries
Consumers should look for the following information on their packages:
- Product: Great Value Organic Triple Berry Blend
- Package size: 10 ounces
- UPC: 7874211226
- Lot code: 6040 01-6
- Best if used by: February 9, 2028
The affected berries were distributed to select Walmart locations in 16 states: Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Texas and Wisconsin.
Notably, Georgia and Virginia are not included on the FDA’s distribution list for this specific Walmart product, while North Carolina is included.
What Consumers Should Do
Anyone who has a package matching the recalled lot should not eat the berries. The FDA advises consumers to throw the product away or return it to Walmart for a full refund.
As of the FDA’s latest update, no illnesses have been associated specifically with this Great Value product. The recall was initiated as a precaution following traceback information connected to an earlier frozen blueberry recall.
E. coli O145 infection can cause symptoms including severe stomach cramps, diarrhea—which may become bloody—and vomiting. While many healthy people recover within about a week, infections can sometimes lead to hemolytic uremic syndrome, a potentially serious complication that poses a greater risk to young children, older adults and people with weakened immune systems.
The Walmart recall is part of a broader investigation involving frozen blueberries. Federal health officials have been investigating a multistate outbreak of E. coli infections linked to frozen blueberry products.
Consumers who regularly purchase frozen fruit are encouraged to check package information carefully before using products stored in their freezers.
(Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
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