These Frozen Berries Are The Latest Class I Recall — Here's What That Actually Means

The latest major recall of 2026 has hit the country, as a recall of frozen berries sold at Publix has been upgraded to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)'s highest level of warning: Class I. The recall was first initiated by Publix at a lower level back on June 25, and affected 10-ounce frozen Greenwise Organic Whole Blueberries with expiration dates before Feb. 9, 2028, and 10-ounce frozen Greenwise Organic Whole Mixed Berries with the same expiration date. That expanded to a major frozen food recall that now includes all versions of those products, including 48-ounce bags, on July 29. But it wasn't until August 18 that the FDA officially upgraded this to a Class I recall due to potential E. coli contamination.

FDA recall classes categorize recalls based on the perceived level of threat to people who are exposed to the product. According to the FDA, a Class I recall is "a situation in which there is a reasonable probability that the use of or exposure to a violative product will cause serious adverse health consequences or death." This is done after the FDA evaluates various risk factors, including whether people have already gotten sick, the vulnerability of certain segments of the population, like seniors and children, to the contaminant, and how likely people are to actually be exposed to it. Class I and Class II recalls are both considered urgent, with Class II being a case where the product "may cause temporary or medically reversible adverse health consequences," or the chance of serious issues is considered remote.

The current Class I recall of whole frozen mixed berries and blueberries at Publix affects products that were distributed in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia. Photos of the products can be found on the FDA recall update page. All potentially contaminated products were pulled from shelves in June, so they would have been purchased before that. If you do have any of the potentially dangerous berries, you should not consume them, and either throw them out or return them to Publix for a full refund. This is just one of several major Class I recalls this year for various reasons, including nearly 1.6 million cartons of eggs recalled over salmonella concerns, and a recent recall of bacon over an inspection error at the U.S.-Canada border.

The Class I level of this recall is almost certainly due to the danger of foods contaminated with E.coli, which can be fatal for children and seniors. Symptoms of E.coli infection can include loose stool, stomach cramping and pain, blood in stool, and vomiting. While most healthy adults will get better within a week, anyone showing signs of infection should see a doctor if the diarrhea persists for two days or more, or if there is blood in their stool. Most E.coli symptoms show within three to four days, but can take up to a week. And E.coli can be spread through human contact, so anyone potentially exposed should make sure to thoroughly wash their hands before human contact.