Frozen blueberries sold at Georgia, Florida Publix stores recalled for possible E. coli contamination

Frozen blueberries sold at Publix grocery stores in Georgia, Florida, and Southern states have been recalled as federal agencies investigate a possible E. coli contamination.

The Chilean company Frutas y Hortalizas del Sur S.A has recalled the GreenWise-brand organic blueberries after the Florida Department of Health notified the Atlanta-based Centers for Disease Control and Prevention of multiple cases of E. coli.

After possibly linking the illnesses to the blueberries, state partners shared the information with Publix, which immediately placed an internal stop on the sale of the product.

Twelve people have been found to be infected with the E. coli strain in Georgia and Florida, the Federal Department of Agriculture reports. Of those, four have been hospitalized. There have been no reported deaths in connection with the possible contamination.

The recall affects frozen GreenWise-brand organic blueberries in 10-oz packages with the printed lot code of 60401. The "Best by Date" of the produce is Feb. 9, 2028. Authorities say the product was shipped to Publix stores in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia. Authorities are working to determine the source of the contamination.

Consumers who purchased the affected blueberries should not eat or sell them. Instead, officials say you should throw them away or return them to where you purchased him.

"If you froze a product without the original packaging and can't tell if it's part of the recall, throw it away," the FDA's website advises.

E. coli symptoms can begin anywhere from a few days after consuming a contaminated food to nine days later. The symptoms include severe stomach cramps, fever, nausea, diarrhea, and vomiting.

Officials advise that if you ate the frozen blueberries recently, or have experienced similar symptoms to an E. coli infection, contact your health provider immediately.