Texas is on the list. A bag of frozen berries sold at Walmart has been recalled. The reason is a germ called E. coli.

The product is Great Value Organic Triple Berry Blend. It comes in a 10 ounce bag. It holds strawberries, blackberries and blueberries. The FDA put out the notice on September 2.

Texas is one of 16 states that got the berries. Bags could be sitting in freezers here in the Valley right now.

Here is what to look for. The UPC is 7874211226. The lot code is 6040 01-6. It is printed on the front of the bag. The best if used by date is February 9, 2028.

If your bag matches, do not eat it. Throw it out. Or take it back to Walmart. The store will give you your money back.

The company that made the berries is Frutas y Hortalizas del Sur S.A. It is based in San Carlos, Chile. The company asked for the recall itself. The FDA posted the notice on its site.

The germ is called E. coli O145. The FDA says it is a Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) that can cause illness characterized by severe stomach cramps, diarrhea (which may be bloody), and vomiting.

People often feel it three or four days after they eat. Small kids and older folks face the worst risk. In bad cases the germ can shut down the kidneys.

If you ate some, watch yourself for a few days. Look for cramps. Look for the runs. Look for throwing up. Call a doctor if you see blood.

No one has gotten sick from this Walmart bag. Not one case. The FDA said so in its notice.

But this recall is part of a bigger problem. The FDA is tracking an outbreak tied to frozen blueberries. So far 17 people have gotten sick. Six of them went to the hospital. No one has died.

Those cases are in Florida and Georgia. The first person got sick on May 11. The last one got sick on August 6. The FDA talked to 13 of them. Eleven said they ate frozen blueberries.

This started back in July. On July 3 the same Chile company pulled frozen blueberries sold at Publix. Those bags carried the GreenWise name. On July 29 Publix pulled every lot of its GreenWise frozen whole blueberries and mixed berries.

The GreenWise bags came in 10 ounce and 48 ounce sizes. They had lot code 60401. They had the same best by date, February 9, 2028.

Now the same lot problem has reached Walmart. That is why Texas got added to the map.

The other 15 states are Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Illinois and Indiana. The list goes on with Kentucky, Louisiana, Minnesota, Mississippi and Missouri. It also has North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina and Wisconsin.

The FDA notice lists states. It does not list which stores got the bags. So a shopper in Rio Grande City can not check by store. The only sure check is the bag itself.

The notice does not put a risk class on this recall. Many recalls get a class number later.

The FDA has one more line for anyone who has the product. Do not eat, sell, or serve it.

You can call the company with questions. The number is 336-899-5612. The hours are 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Eastern time. That is Monday through Friday. The email is Info.foodsafety@comfrut.com.

This is not the first Walmart recall El Tejano has covered this summer. In August the store pulled tomato soup kits over a listeria risk. You can read that story here: https://www.eltejanorgv.com/walmart-tomato-soup-kits-recalled-over-possible-listeria/

El Tejano also ran a list of the food pulled from store shelves in August. That roundup is here: https://www.eltejanorgv.com/check-your-kitchen-the-food-pulled-off-store-shelves-in-august/

Those are other recalls. This berry case is its own thing.

For now the job is simple. Go look in your freezer. Read the front of the bag. Check the lot code and the date. If it matches, do not risk it.