Walmart has pulled its Great Value-brand frozen organic triple berry blend from store shelves in 26 states and Puerto Rico after federal regulators flagged the product as a possible source of E. coli contamination, the company confirmed this week.

The recall is tied to a broader multistate outbreak investigation the FDA and CDC opened over the summer into E. coli O145:H28 infections linked to frozen organic blueberries supplied by Frutas y Hortalizas del Sur S.A., a distributor based in San Carlos, Chile. Investigators have since traced the same lot codes into Walmart's private-label berry blend, prompting the expanded recall.

What's Affected

The recalled product is sold in 10-ounce bags under lot code 6040 01-6, with a "best by" date of February 9, 2028, according to ABC7. It shipped to select Walmart stores across Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, West Virginia and Wisconsin, plus Puerto Rico.

"DO NOT EAT, SELL OR SERVE."

Federal health officials are urging anyone who bought the product to check the lot code immediately, discard the bag or return it to a Walmart store for a refund. E. coli O145:H28 infections can cause severe stomach cramps, bloody diarrhea and vomiting, and in rare cases can trigger hemolytic uremic syndrome, a type of kidney failure that disproportionately strikes young children and older adults.

Health officials have not released a national case count specific to the Walmart-branded product, saying the investigation into the full scope of the Chilean-blueberry-linked outbreak remains active.

What's next: the FDA says it is continuing to trace other retailers and private-label products that may have received berries from the same supplier, and a fuller accounting of illnesses tied to the outbreak is expected in the coming weeks.