Publix and distributor sued over fatal E. coli blueberry contamination

A Florida family has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against grocery chain Publix and distributor Quirch Foods, alleging that contaminated GreenWise Organic frozen blueberries caused the death of Karla Mullins and the hospitalization of her son.

The lawsuit follows a multistate E. coli O145:H28 outbreak. The contamination is linked to frozen berries supplied by the Chilean company Frutas y Hortalizas del Sur S. A. While an initial recall was issued in July for a single lot, Publix expanded the recall on July 29 to include all lots of GreenWise Organic Whole Blueberries and Whole Mixed Berries.

The legal complaint describes the product as defective and unreasonably dangerous. Representatives for Publix and Quirch Foods have not yet responded to requests for comment.