A bag of frozen berries sold at Walmart stores in 16 states has been pulled from the market after federal investigators traced it back to the same Chilean supplier at the center of an active E. coli outbreak. The recall covers one product and one lot code, and the work for households is small: open the freezer and read the front of the package.
The recalled item is Great Value Organic Triple Berry Blend in 10-ounce packages, UPC 7874211226, lot code 6040 01-6, with a best-if-used-by date of February 9, 2028. Frutas y Hortalizas del Sur S.A. of San Carlos, Chile, announced the expansion on September 2, and the Food and Drug Administration posted the notice the following day. The company says the lot code is printed on the front of the bag, which makes the check faster than most food recalls.
No illnesses have been tied to this specific product. The company described the action as precautionary, taken "following traceback information of the previous recall." That distinction matters for how households should read the news. This is not a report of people getting sick from Walmart berries. It is a supply-chain trace that landed on a lot already sitting in home freezers.
The Sixteen States Where the Bags Were Shipped
The recalled blend went to select Walmart stores in Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Texas and Wisconsin. FDA notes that distribution has been confirmed for the states it lists, but that product could have reached others.
Frozen fruit is the reason this recall deserves attention beyond a single shopping week. Most recalled produce is eaten or thrown out within days. A 10-ounce bag of frozen berries can sit unopened for months, and a partially used bag can outlast several grocery runs. A best-by date in 2028 gives no signal that anything is wrong. The lot code is the only identifier that separates a recalled bag from a safe one.
FDA advises anyone who repackaged berries without the original bag to throw them away rather than guess. The agency also recommends cleaning and sanitizing any surface, container, or utensil the product touched, and points consumers to its safe handling and cleaning advice to reduce the risk of cross-contamination.
One habit makes frozen fruit recalls harder than they need to be. Many households pour a bag into a freezer container to save space, then throw the original packaging away. That step erases the only identifier a recall notice can be matched against, which is why the agency's guidance defaults to discarding unverifiable product rather than judging it by appearance.
The Outbreak Behind the Traceback
The Great Value lot was added to an investigation that federal and state agencies opened in early July. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 17 people have been infected with the outbreak strain of E. coli O145:H28, with six hospitalizations and no deaths. FDA lists the cases in Florida and Georgia. Illness onset dates run from May 11 through early August, meaning the outbreak has been generating infections for roughly three months.
Eleven of the 13 people interviewed reported eating frozen blueberries. That is a strong epidemiologic signal, and it is what moved investigators from the original product to the Chilean supplier and then to other products made from the same fruit.
The count almost certainly understates the real total. These infections are counted only when someone seeks care, submits a stool sample, and has the isolate genetically matched to the outbreak strain. Many people who get sick never reach that third step. CDC and FDA both describe the investigation as ongoing, and FDA has said additional products may be added.
Who Faces the Most Serious Risk
E. coli O145 is a Shiga toxin-producing strain. CDC says most people recover without treatment in five to seven days after severe stomach cramps, diarrhea that is often bloody, and vomiting. Symptoms usually begin three to four days after swallowing the bacteria, though FDA notes they can appear up to nine days later.
The serious concern is hemolytic uremic syndrome, a form of kidney failure that develops in a minority of infections and falls hardest on young children, older adults, and people with weakened immune systems. FDA also notes that severe infections can lead to high blood pressure, chronic kidney disease and neurologic problems. Households with young children, elderly relatives, transplant recipients, or people on immune-suppressing medication have the strongest reason to act on the freezer check rather than defer it.
CDC advises calling a health care provider for diarrhea with a fever above 102 degrees, diarrhea lasting more than three days without improvement, bloody diarrhea, vomiting severe enough to prevent keeping liquids down, or signs of dehydration such as reduced urination, dry mouth, and dizziness on standing.
The Refund Path and What Comes Next
Consumers should throw out the recalled blend or return it to Walmart for a full refund. The company lists a contact line at 336-899-5612, weekdays from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Eastern.
Restaurants, retailers and food service operators that received the lot should stop selling it. Retailers who broke down bulk product and repackaged it for individual sale are instructed to remove it from the market entirely, which is the step most likely to leave recalled fruit circulating in smaller stores if it is missed.
FDA has not identified the source of contamination at the Chilean facility, and says it is working with state partners to determine it. Until that work is finished, the possibility of further product additions remains open. The agency updates its outbreak advisory as new information arrives, and the case count map is refreshed by CDC on its own schedule.
Readers in the affected states should treat the current product list as provisional rather than final while the investigation stays open, and check any newly purchased frozen berry product against the notice before assuming it is unrelated.
Key Questions Answered
Which product is recalled? Great Value Organic Triple Berry Blend, 10 ounces, UPC 7874211226, lot code 6040 01-6, best-if-used-by February 9, 2028. No other Great Value berry products are covered.
Where was it sold? Select Walmart stores in Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Texas and Wisconsin.
Has anyone gotten sick from this product? No illnesses have been linked to this specific lot. The company recalled it as a precaution after traceback work connected it to the supplier in an existing outbreak.
How many people are sick in the overall outbreak? Seventeen confirmed infections, with six hospitalizations and no deaths, according to figures the CDC and FDA published in early September. FDA lists the cases in Florida and Georgia.
What if the berries were moved to a different container? Throw them away. If the original packaging is gone and the lot code cannot be verified, there is no way to rule the bag in or out.
When should someone seek medical care? Call a clinician for bloody diarrhea, fever above 102 degrees, diarrhea lasting more than three days, vomiting that prevents keeping fluids down, or signs of dehydration.
Could more products be added? Yes. FDA has said the investigation is ongoing and that additional products may be added to the advisory as traceback continues.
