Frutas y Hortalizas del Sur faces FDA alert over E. coli

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued an import alert for the Chilean company Frutas y Hortalizas del Sur S.A., based in San Carlos, following an E. coli O145 outbreak linked to cranberries.

The outbreak, which was officially closed on September 21, resulted in 17 illnesses and 6 hospitalizations in Florida and Georgia. While the FDA has not confirmed any deaths, a family in Florida has filed a lawsuit against Publix and Quirch Foods, alleging that a relative died after consuming GreenWise cranberries.

Between July and September, product recalls affected GreenWise and Great Value brands sold at Publix and Walmart, including items with expiration dates as far out as 2028. Epidemiological and laboratory data from the CDC linked the outbreak to the products supplied by the San Carlos-based firm.