Authorities in United States raised the alert over frozen blueberries sold at Publix supermarkets to the highest level after they were linked to an outbreak of E. coli that has left 12 people ill and four hospitalized. No deaths have been reported.
The recall affects GreenWise Organic Whole Blueberries and Whole Mixed Berries, sold in eight U.S. states: Florida, Georgia, Alabama, Kentucky, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia.
But one fact is especially relevant to Chile: the blueberries were supplied by Frutas y Hortalizas del Sur S.A., a company located in San Carlos, Ñuble Region. The FDA is investigating the company as part of its search for the source of the contamination.
The problem was initially detected in a batch of frozen organic blueberries, and Publix subsequently expanded the recall to all batches of the affected products.
The FDA has now classified the recall as Class I, its highest-risk category, used when there is a reasonable probability that consuming the product could cause serious health consequences or even death.
The recommendation for U.S. consumers is clear: do not consume the recalled products, check their freezers, and discard the products or return them to the store.
The investigation continues to determine exactly how the contamination occurred.