FDA Flags Publix Blueberries at Deadliest Risk Level

The Food and Drug Administration has upgraded a recall of GreenWise frozen berries sold at Publix to Class I — the agency's highest risk category — after the products were tied to an E. coli outbreak that sickened 12 people and put four in the hospital.

The FDA applied the classification on Tuesday, Aug. 18. A Class I designation means there is "a reasonable probability that the use of, or exposure to, a violative product will cause serious adverse health consequences or death," according to the agency.

Four GreenWise products are covered: 10-ounce and 48-ounce bags of GreenWise Organic Whole Blueberries, with UPC codes 41415-06453 and 41415-12053, and 10-ounce and 48-ounce bags of GreenWise Organic Whole Mixed Berries, with UPC codes 41415-06753 and 41415-12153.

The berries have best-by dates running into 2028 — which is why the FDA is still warning about them weeks after they came off shelves. They may be sitting in freezers right now.

Where the Berries Went

The recalled products were shipped to Publix stores in eight states: Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia.

All 12 reported illnesses were in Florida and Georgia.