Watch your blueberry sources:
The total number of people sickened by E. coli linked to recalled frozen blueberries has increased to 17, the Food and Drug Administration said in an update on Thursday.
The illnesses were reported from May 11 to Aug. 2 in Florida and Georgia. So far, there have been six hospitalizations, and no deaths have been reported, the agency said.
In July, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the F.D.A. announced that they were investigating an E. coli outbreak linked to frozen blueberries after a voluntary recall by Frutas y Hortalizas del Sur S.A., of San Carlos, Chile.
Later that month, the grocery store chain Publix recalled all GreenWise Organic Frozen Whole Blueberries and Whole Mixed Berries because of potential E. coli contamination.
On Wednesday, Frutas y Hortalizas del Sur S.A., expanded its July recall to include one lot of Great Value brand frozen organic mixed berry products sold at Walmart stores.
The latest recalled products were sold in 10-ounce packages with a lot code of 6040 01-6 and a best by date of Feb. 9, 2028, the F.D.A. said.
“Do not eat, sell, or serve a specific lot of recalled Great Value frozen berries or recalled GreenWise frozen berries,” the agency said on its website.
The affected product has been sold in a total of 19 states: Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia and Wisconsin.
Recalled Blueberries, Jalapenos, Lettuce: What to Know
Why is so much produce being recalled right now? What to know about blueberries, lettuce and jalapenos.
https://www.usnews.com/news/national-news/articles/2026-08-26/recalled-blueberries-jalapenos-lettuce-what-to-know
Should We Be Afraid of Our Food?
America’s food-safety system is being methodically dismantled by the Trump administration.
The cyclosporiasis outbreak that has garnered so much attention in recent months is unquestionably bad news. People have been sickened in at least 48 states, and the number of lab-confirmed cases—about 17,000—represents only a fraction of the number of people who have been infected by the parasite.
But as foodborne illnesses go, a cyclospora infection—most likely caused in this instance by the consumption of iceberg lettuce contaminated with human feces—is relatively mild: unpleasant but rarely life-threatening. The two people who have died during the current outbreak had serious underlying conditions. Other foodborne pathogens are far more dangerous. More than 1 million Americans are sickened by Salmonella every year; invasive, potentially life-threatening infections occur in about 8 percent of lab-confirmed cases, and cause meningitis, sepsis, and other serious complications. A botulism infection can cause paralysis, seizures, nerve damage, lung damage, and brain damage, as well as death.
The FDA is responsible for the safety of about 80 percent of the food consumed in the United States. Last year, James Jones, the highly respected head of the FDA’s human-foods division, resigned from his post, citing the “indiscriminate” firing of 89 staff members. The loss of such expertise threatens to cripple the agency’s food-safety efforts. Kyle Diamantas—who replaced Jones and now serves as the acting head of the FDA—has no scientific, medical, or public-health training. He is an attorney (and Donald Trump Jr.’s hunting companion). While employed at the law firm Jones Day, Diamantas defended Abbott Laboratories in a lawsuit alleging that the company had knowingly sold infant formula that could cause severe bowel problems. Abbott lost the suit and in August agreed to pay a $670 million settlement to resolve that case and other claims. In a statement to investors, Abbott said that the settlement is “not in any way an admission of liability” and that the company “remains confident in the safety of these products.”
full story: Should We Be Afraid of Our Food? (Atlantic)