South Florida residents Oscar and Roberta Cash are suing Publix after they say they became ill from E. coli contamination in GreenWise Organic blueberries sold at its stores.
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The Cashes say shortly after they bought and consumed contaminated GreenWise Organic blueberries from Publix in May 2026, they both developed bloody diarrhea, severe abdominal pain, stomach cramps, dehydration, and fever.
Roberta, 88, was hospitalized at Jupiter Medical Center for 10 days and was then transferred to The Gardens Court nursing facility for nearly three additional weeks of medical treatment. Testing revealed she had a severe E. coli infection.
About a month later, Lakeland-based Publix recalled its 10-ounce bags of GreenWise Organic IQF Blueberries because of potential E. coli contamination.
As of July 6, 12 people have been confirmed to have E. coli linked to the GreenWise blueberries — 11 in Florida and 1 in Georgia, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Four of the cases required hospitalization.
“We know from the CDC that for every person who gets a culture and tests positive, there are 30 more not reported who gut it out at home,” said Ron Simon, a national food poisoning lawyer whose firm is one of two that filed the Cashes’ lawsuit.
Publix said on its website the blueberries were supplied by Frutas y Hortalizas del Sur S.A. of San Carlos, Chile.
“If a company sells food that is poisoned, they are responsible for damages whether they knew it or not, or created it or not,” Simon said.
Simon’s firm and Elizabeth Zwibel Law filed the suit on behalf of the Cashes on Monday in Palm Beach County Circuit Court. They are suing Publix for strict liability, negligence, and breach of implied warranties, and say Publix failed to ensure the product was safe before it reached consumers.
“All food comes with a warranty that it is fit to be consumed. When someone is harmed, you are in breach of that warranty,” Simon said.
Simon said the amount of contamination on the blueberries would vary by package, affecting how people who eat them are affected.
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While the Cashes are the first to file a lawsuit through his firm, Simon expects others to come forward. “I think they are the first of many,” he said, adding that several others have contacted him after also becoming ill from the blueberries.
Publix issued a recall of the GreenWise organic frozen blueberries on July 3.
“After receiving reports of consumers experiencing digestive illnesses and having consumed GreenWise frozen blueberries as part of their diet, Frutas y Hortalizas S.A. has decided to initiate the recall,” Publix announced.
The recalled products have Lot Code 60401 and a Best By date of Feb. 9, 2028. Publix has advised customers to discard or return frozen blueberries purchased on or before July 3. The recalled product was shipped to Publix retail stores in eight states: Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia.
“Consumers who have frozen GreenWise blueberry products with the affected lot date should not consume it. The product should be discarded or returned to the place of purchase for a full refund,” Publix said in its recall alert.
This is one of numerous food-borne outbreaks to have occurred in the last year.
The symptoms of E. coli poisoning are severe stomach cramps, diarrhea and vomiting. While most healthy individuals recover within a week, some infections may lead to serious complications, particularly in young children, older adults, and individuals with weakened immune systems.
Also this year, Simon filed a salmonella lawsuit linked to contaminated Live It Up Super Greens dietary supplement powders and an E. coli lawsuit against The Kebab Shop in California linked to the restaurant chain’s beef kofta product.
The FDA’s outbreak investigation tracking of foodborne illnesses shows outbreaks in 2026 linked to Moringa Leaf Powder, cantaloupe, ricotta Cheese, powdered infant formula, and frozen blueberries. There are also cases of salmonella and cyclospora whose source has not been identified.
South Florida Sun Sentinel health reporter Cindy Goodman can be reached at [email protected].
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