On October 2, 2026, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration published an expanded recall notice from Frutas y Hortalizas del Sur S.A., a frozen-fruit supplier based in San Carlos, Chile. The recall covers several lots of frozen organic berries sold under the Great Value brand at Walmart and an organic berry blend at Trader Joe’s, over potential contamination with E. coli O145:H28 — a Shiga toxin-producing strain that can cause serious illness.
This is the third round: earlier recalls in July and September were followed by this expansion, driven by traceback information. The newly added lots are Great Value Organic Triple Berry Blend 10 oz (UPC 7874211226; lots 6 031 01 and 6 041 01), Great Value Organic Blueberries 10 oz (UPC 7874211213; lots 6 019 01, 6 040 01 and 6 163 01), and Trader Joe’s Organic Mixed Berry Blend 12 oz (UPC 00977654; lot 6 051 01). The products reached 30 states plus Puerto Rico through Walmart and 26 states plus Washington, D.C. through Trader Joe’s — and best-before dates run into 2028, so affected bags could sit in home freezers long after the headlines fade.
For importers, the brand names are not the point. The point is what happens next: every time a contamination issue surfaces anywhere in the berry supply chain, buyers everywhere start asking harder questions of their own suppliers. If you import frozen berries, here are five questions worth asking yours right now.
1. Can every carton be traced back to the field lot?
Lot-level traceability is the first thing investigators ask for — and the first thing serious buyers now expect. Ask your supplier to show how a finished export carton maps back to the raw-material lot, the packing date and the production line. If the answer is a vague “we keep records,” ask to see a sample trace for a recent shipment.
2. What microbiological testing is done — and can I see the report?
Testing regimes differ widely between packers. Ask which organisms are screened (at minimum E. coli, Salmonella and Listeria for frozen fruit), whether testing is done per lot or per container, and whether it is performed by an accredited third-party laboratory. Then ask for a recent report. A supplier that tests routinely will share one without hesitation.
3. How are lots coded on the export cartons?
Recalls live or die on lot coding. Check that every master carton carries a legible lot code and best-before date, and that those codes match the packing list and the lab reports. When a recall notice lists lots like “6 031 01,” you want to be able to confirm within minutes whether your shipment is affected — not after a week of emails.
4. What happens if a problem is found after shipment?
Ask about the supplier’s recall procedure before you need it: who notifies whom, how quickly, and what documentation follows. A short written procedure — even a one-page flow — tells you more about a supplier’s food-safety culture than any brochure claim.
5. Can you document the chain from field to freezer?
Origin transparency is becoming a commercial requirement, not just a compliance one. Ask what documentation connects the growing region to the finished product: field records, intake inspections, metal detection and freezing logs. You do not need every page — you need to know the chain exists and can be produced on request.
A note for buyers reviewing their berry sourcing
At Smiler Food we publish clear, item-by-item specifications for our frozen berry range — IQF strawberries, IQF blueberries, IQF raspberries, IQF blackberries and IQF cranberries — and our whole vs. sliced strawberry buying guide walks through the specification details buyers actually negotiate on.
If you are reviewing your berry sourcing in light of this recall, send us your spec sheet. We will confirm exactly what testing and traceability documentation we can provide for your order — no promises we cannot keep, just straight answers before you commit.
