Publix fruit at center of E. coli outbreak investigations, FDA and CDC say
An E. coli outbreak that’s hit Florida and Georgia has been linked by the FDA and CDC to Publix store brand frozen blueberries that also went to six other states, the agencies announced Monday.
Before Monday’s investigation summaries posted online, neither agency had posted anything publicly. Friday’s recall of Publix’s GreenWise Organic Whole Blueberries by Chilean company Frutas y Hortalizas del Sur S.A., which stated “12 confirmed cases of consumers experiencing stomach illness ... linked with E. coli O145:H28 infections,” was the first hint to the public there might be an outbreak.
READ MORE: Publix fruit recalled after 12 customers got E. coli-linked stomach illnesses
Here’s what to know:
What are the FDA and CDC saying about the outbreak?
According to the Food and Drug Administration, the Florida Department of Health let the Centers for Disease Control know on Wednesday about an investigation into a “cluster of E. coli O145 illnesses.”
The Department of Health and CDC found 12 people — 11 in Florida, one in Georgia — with that strain of E. coli, four of whom were hospitalized. Seven of nine people interviewed said they ate frozen blueberries. Of those seven, five said they ate the GreenWise organic frozen blueberries.
“Florida state partners shared their findings with Publix headquarters and, in response, Publix immediately conducted an internal Stop Sale of frozen GreenWise-brand organic blueberries at their stores,” the FDA said.
How potentially deadly is this strain of E. coli?
E. coli O145:H28 is one of the Shiga toxin-producing forms of E. coli. In addition to symptoms such as vomiting, bloody diarrhea and stomachaches, Shiga toxin E. coli (STEC) strains can cause hemolytic uremic syndrome or HUS. That form of kidney failure puts the fatal kick in E. coli.
Children under 5 and adults 65 or over have the greatest vulnerability to these strains.
Exactly what is recalled and what is Publix advising?
Lot No. 60401 of Frozen GreenWise Organic IQF Blueberries in 10-ounce bags with a best by date of Feb. 9, 2028, have been recalled from Publix stores in Florida, North Carolina, South Carolina, Kentucky, Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee and Virginia.
Publix had issued a sweeping, chain-wide Stop Sale, so when it posted the recall, it included “Publix is advising customers to return or discard any frozen GreenWise blueberries sold in stores on or before July 3, 2026.”
What you should do?
If you’ve had these blueberries in your home, wash and sanitize all dishes, utensils and surfaces that might have touched the fruit.
The CDC advises calling a medical professional if you experience diarrhea for more than three days that’s unabating; diarrhea combined with fever higher than 102 degrees; bloody diarrhea; vomiting that prevents you from keeping liquids down; dehydration symptoms such as dizziness when rising, less urination than normal or dry mouth.
This story was originally published July 6, 2026 at 7:13 PM with the headline "Publix fruit at center of E. coli outbreak investigations, FDA and CDC say."
