09/04/2026
🚨 Walmart Berries Recalled In N.C. Over E. Coli As Outbreak Grows To 17 Cases
Friday, September 4, 2026 — 6:00 AM
HICKORY, N.C. — The E. coli recall that started with Publix frozen blueberries has now reached Walmart freezers in North Carolina, according to a company announcement posted Wednesday by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
Chilean supplier Frutas y Hortalizas del Sur S.A. expanded its recall Tuesday to include one lot of Great Value Organic Triple Berry Blend in 10-ounce bags. The recalled lot code is 6040 01-6, printed on the front of the package, with a best-if-used-by date of February 9, 2028, and UPC 7874211226.
The product went to select Walmart stores in 16 states, including North Carolina. Neither the company nor the FDA has identified which individual stores received it. Walmart Supercenters operate in all seven counties CVNW covers, from Taylorsville to Marion.
No illnesses have been linked to the Great Value blend. The company said the action was "taken as a precautionary measure following traceback information of the previous recall."
The broader outbreak has grown. FDA and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention now count 17 people infected with the outbreak strain of E. coli O145:H28 across two states, with six hospitalizations and no deaths. That is up from 12 cases and four hospitalizations reported in early July. Illnesses began between May 11 and early August. All confirmed cases so far are in Florida and Georgia. None have been reported in North Carolina.
The earlier Publix recall remains in effect and covers all lots of four GreenWise products: Organic Whole Blueberries and Organic Whole Mixed Berries, each in 10-ounce and 48-ounce bags. Those went to Publix stores in eight states, including North Carolina. The FDA upgraded that recall to Class I on August 18, its most serious classification, meaning exposure carries a reasonable probability of serious health consequences or death. The nearest Publix locations to the Catawba Valley are in Mooresville.
The FDA has also added frozen blueberries from the Chilean supplier to an import alert, allowing shipments to be detained at the border without physical examination.
WHAT TO DO
Check your freezer. Do not eat recalled product. Throw it away or return it to the store where you bought it for a full refund. If you froze berries without the original packaging and cannot tell whether they are part of the recall, the FDA says throw them away. Clean and sanitize any surfaces or containers the berries touched.
Symptoms of E. coli infection include severe stomach cramps, diarrhea that may be bloody, fever, nausea and vomiting, and can begin anywhere from a few days to nine days after eating contaminated food. In some cases the infection leads to hemolytic uremic syndrome, a type of kidney failure that is most dangerous for young children, older adults and people with weakened immune systems. Anyone with symptoms should contact a health care provider.
Consumers with questions about the Great Value recall can reach the company at 336-899-5612, weekdays from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
The FDA investigation is ongoing, and the agency says additional products could be added.
Worth saving this one — the lot code is the only way to tell a recalled bag from a safe one. Have you found any of these in your freezer?
