Blueberry Recall Forces Immediate Supply-Chain Disruption and Raises Safety Alarms for Processors, Distributors and Vulnerable Consumers

The Blueberry Recall announced this month centers on frozen, individually quick-frozen fruit moved between businesses, not sold at retail — and that distribution pattern is the reason processors, foodservice buyers and vulnerable consumers in Michigan, Oregon, Washington, Wisconsin and Canada feel the impact first. This blueberry recall was initiated on Feb. 12 and has since been upgraded by federal regulators because of the potential for life-threatening Listeria contamination.

Who faces the clearest impact from the Blueberry Recall

Processors, wholesalers and institutional buyers who received bulk cases or 1, 400-pound totes are at the front line: the product was moved between businesses within the supply chain rather than sold directly in retail stores. Here’s the part that matters — any company that stored, processed or redistributed these lots may need to isolate affected inventory, halt use and trace downstream movements quickly. The recall was initiated email and remains ongoing, and the FDA upgraded the action to the most serious classification (Class I/Class 1), warning exposure could cause serious adverse health consequences or death.

Event details and the recall timeline embedded

The recall was first issued on Feb. 12. An online notice dated February 26, 2026, 4: 15 PM ET describes the federal upgrade this week to the highest recall level. Regulators flagged roughly 55, 000 pounds of frozen blueberries in one statement and used more specific figures in others: the recalled weight is listed as 55, 689 pounds, while other descriptions called it more than 55, 000 pounds and nearly 56, 000 pounds. The product was distributed in Michigan, Oregon, Washington, Wisconsin and throughout Canada. It was not sold directly to consumers in retail stores; it was moved among businesses within the supply chain. It's unclear in the provided context whether consumers purchased the product through other channels.

Packaging, lot codes and expiration details

The affected items include 30-pound cases and 1, 400-pound totes. The 30-pound cases carry expiration dates from July 23, 2027, to July 24, 2027, and bear lot codes 2055 B2, 2065 B1 and 2065 B3; these are packaged in polyethylene bags within corrugated cases using a dual-layered design. The 1, 400-pound totes have lot codes 3305 A1 and 3305 B1, both expiring on Nov. 25, 2027, and are packaged in polyethylene liners inside Gaylord totes — heavy-duty industrial-grade plastic bags placed in large bulk-shipping containers.

Health risks tied to Listeria and who is most vulnerable

The organism identified is L. monocytogenes. Regulators warn that Listeria monocytogenes can cause listeriosis, a foodborne illness with a spectrum of severity. One description notes Listeria monocytogenesis is a disease-causing bacteria that can cause fever, diarrhea and vomiting. Another breakdown describes two types of listeriosis: a less-severe form with symptoms such as fever, muscle aches, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea, and a more-severe, potentially life-threatening form with symptoms that can include headache, stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance and convulsions. The more serious infections are particularly concerning for newborns, pregnant women, adults over 65 and people with weakened immune systems. L. monocytogenes is generally transmitted where food is harvested and processed in manufacturing or production environments and can be present in soil, water, sewage, rotting vegetation and animals.

• Recalled weights cited: 55, 689 pounds (specific figure), roughly 55, 000 pounds (rounded), more than 55, 000 pounds, and nearly 56, 000 pounds — all descriptions appear in notices.
• Recall initiation: Feb. 12; federal upgrade to Class I/Class 1 occurred on a Tuesday this week and is labeled the most serious classification.
• Distribution footprint: Michigan, Oregon, Washington, Wisconsin and Canada; product moved among businesses, not sold at retail.
• Packaging and lot codes: 30-lb cases (lot codes 2055 B2, 2065 B1, 2065 B3; exp. July 23–24, 2027) and 1, 400-lb totes (lot codes 3305 A1, 3305 B1; exp. Nov. 25, 2027).
• Recall communications: initiated email and remains ongoing; regulatory notices describe potential for serious adverse health consequences or death.

Practical implications and next signals for businesses and buyers

Companies that handle bulk frozen fruit should check inventories for the listed lot codes and packaging types immediately and follow internal trace-and-hold procedures. The real question now is whether any redistributed product reached channels not tracked in the supply-chain notices; the FDA did not specify where blueberries were sold or how consumers may have come into contact with them in all cases. Confirmations that downstream buyers or end-users were not exposed would be the clearest signal that containment has worked. Conversely, any illness clusters tied to these lots would move the situation from precautionary recall to active public-health incident.

What’s easy to miss is that because the product moved between businesses rather than through retail shelves, the recall’s operational burden falls more heavily on foodservice, processing and wholesale networks than on individual shoppers.

Rebecca Cohen is named in an internal credit line in one of the notices; outlet names and publication credits have been omitted here to keep the focus on the recall facts and safety implications.

Writer's aside: The combination of bulk packaging, long expiration dates and cross-border distribution raises the chance that tracking and disposal will be logistically complex for affected businesses — an important practical challenge beyond the immediate health warning.