Publix Sued Over Contaminated Blueberry Death

Publix is facing a lawsuit related to the death of a Florida woman who reportedly consumed organic frozen blueberries tainted with E. coli, which were sold in its stores. The legal complaint was submitted last week.

The lawsuit indicates that Karla Mullins passed away on June 20 after eating the blueberries she had bought from a Publix location on Ulmerton Road. Her son, who consumed the same berries, is said to have been hospitalized due to the illness.

On July 3, the Chilean food supplier Frutas y Hortalizas del Sur S.A. initiated a recall of the affected blueberries. Following this, Publix, along with distributor Quirch Foods—also named in the lawsuit—expanded the recall to encompass all of Publix’s GreenWise organic blueberries on July 29, as they were tied to a multistate outbreak of E. coli.

Attorneys John Morgan and Christian Leger from Morgan & Morgan, the law firm representing the family, stated, “This family lost a treasured mother and wife because a product that was supposed to be safe was contaminated with a dangerous and deadly pathogen.” They further emphasized that “Karla Mullins should be alive today” and expressed their commitment to holding Publix and Quirch Foods accountable for their role in making the product available to customers.

The lawsuit, brought forth by Mullins’ husband, Richard Mullins, and their son, Spencer Mullins, claims that both Publix and Quirch failed to conduct proper inspections and quality assurance on the blueberries.

These contaminated blueberries were distributed to Publix stores across eight states: Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia. According to the lawsuit, Mullins bought the contaminated blueberries from a Publix store in Florida around May 21.

As reported by the FDA on July 30, at least 12 individuals in Florida and Georgia fell ill from consuming the blueberries, with four requiring hospitalization.

E. coli is a harmful bacterium that can lead to severe gastrointestinal symptoms such as stomach cramps, nausea, diarrhea, and vomiting. In more severe instances, particularly among vulnerable groups like the elderly or those with weakened immune systems, it can lead to kidney failure or even death.

As of now, neither Publix nor Quirch Foods have provided any comments in response to requests regarding the situation.