Blueberry recalls have involved some of the most serious foodborne pathogens tracked by food safety regulators, including hepatitis A virus and the parasitic pathogen cyclospora. Fresh and frozen blueberries are consumed widely — in smoothies, baked goods, cereals, and snacks — by people of all ages, and contamination events can affect both domestic and imported berry crops. There are currently multiple food recalls tracked on Recall Tracker, including fresh produce and frozen fruit products.
This page explains how to check your specific blueberry product, why blueberries are recalled, which agency oversees these recalls, and what steps to take if your product is affected.
Step 1: Locate the brand name, package size, and best-by date.
Fresh blueberries sold in clamshell containers have a brand label with a best-by or packed-on date. Frozen blueberries have a lot code or production date stamped on the bag, often near the sealed end. These dates and codes are used to identify specific affected lots in recall notices.
Step 2: Note the UPC barcode.
The UPC on your blueberry package is used in recall notices to identify specific products. Different brands, package sizes, and varieties carry different UPCs. If you purchased bulk blueberries from a store bin, check with the store for the supplier name.
Step 3: Search Recall Tracker.
Go to Recall Tracker and search the brand name. Compare the best-by date, lot code, and UPC on your package against the affected products listed in any recall notices.
Step 4: Use the barcode scanner.
The barcode scanner at /scan lets you scan your package's UPC directly to check it against the recall database — the fastest method for packaged products.
Step 5: Set up brand alerts.
Visit brands and follow your blueberry brand to receive automatic notifications if future recalls are issued.
FDA (Food and Drug Administration) has primary jurisdiction over blueberry recalls. Fresh produce and frozen fruit are regulated as food products under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act and the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA). The FDA's Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition (CFSAN) investigates contamination events, works with growers and processors on voluntary recalls, and coordinates with the CDC and state health departments during outbreak investigations. See the FDA agency page for more on how FDA recall authority works.
USDA may be involved when blueberries are used as ingredients in USDA-regulated meat or poultry composite products, though this is uncommon for berries.
Health Canada and international food safety agencies may issue parallel recalls for imported blueberry products sold in multiple countries. Recall Tracker monitors Health Canada recalls and other international agencies alongside FDA actions.
Hepatitis A virus is one of the most serious hazards associated with fresh produce recalls, and blueberries have been involved in hepatitis A contamination events. The virus spreads through the fecal-oral route and can contaminate produce through infected farmworkers handling berries during harvest, through irrigation water contaminated with sewage, or through post-harvest handling and processing.
Hepatitis A infections from food can have a long incubation period — typically 15 to 50 days — meaning a consumer may not develop symptoms for weeks after eating a contaminated product. Symptoms include fatigue, nausea, abdominal pain, jaundice, and dark urine. The illness can range from mild to severe and, in older adults and people with liver disease, can be life-threatening.
Consumers who have been vaccinated against hepatitis A are protected. Unvaccinated individuals who have recently consumed a recalled product may benefit from post-exposure prophylaxis — either the hepatitis A vaccine or immune globulin — if given within two weeks of exposure. This makes timely recall identification especially important.
Cyclospora cayetanensis is a microscopic parasite that has been linked to multi-state produce outbreaks in the United States, affecting various fresh fruits and vegetables including berries. Cyclospora contamination typically originates from irrigation water or wash water contaminated with human feces in growing regions.
Cyclosporosis causes prolonged, watery diarrhea that can last weeks to months if untreated. Unlike many other foodborne illnesses, cyclospora infections do not resolve on their own quickly and typically require antibiotic treatment. Produce recalls associated with cyclospora have led to FDA investigations of both domestic and imported growing regions.
Blueberries are a crop on which pesticide residue monitoring has identified violations of maximum residue limits (MRLs). When laboratory testing finds pesticide levels that exceed FDA or EPA tolerances, a recall can result. This applies to both domestically grown and imported blueberries. Imported berries in particular may be subject to FDA import alerts if a supplier has a history of residue violations.
Blueberry products that are processed alongside other foods — blueberry muffins, trail mixes, granola bars, and similar items — have been recalled for undeclared allergens including milk, wheat, soy, and tree nuts. While blueberries themselves are not a common allergen, the foods they are packaged with or processed near can introduce undeclared allergen risks.
Stop consuming them immediately. Remove the product from your refrigerator or freezer and do not allow household members to eat it.
Check family members who ate the product. Hepatitis A has a long incubation period — if someone consumed the recalled product within the past two weeks and is unvaccinated, contact a healthcare provider promptly about post-exposure prophylaxis.
Monitor for symptoms. Be alert for symptoms of hepatitis A (jaundice, fatigue, abdominal pain), cyclospora (prolonged watery diarrhea), or other foodborne illness in the weeks following consumption.
Seek medical care if symptomatic. Cyclospora infections require prescription antibiotic treatment. Hepatitis A symptoms that are severe or in individuals at high risk (older adults, liver disease) warrant prompt medical attention.
Keep the packaging. Save the clamshell container or bag with the UPC, brand name, and date visible for a refund and for healthcare providers if illness develops.
Dispose safely. For pathogen-related recalls, place the product in a sealed bag before disposing to prevent spread.
Report illness. Report suspected foodborne illness to the FDA at fda.gov/safety/medwatch and to your state health department. Consumer reports help regulators identify outbreak patterns.
The FDA does not recommend consuming recalled produce in any form. For pathogens like hepatitis A virus, heat inactivation requires consistent temperatures throughout the product. Cooking blueberries in a muffin or smoothie does not guarantee sufficient temperature throughout. Dispose of recalled products rather than attempting heat treatment.
Farmers market blueberries from small local farms are generally not subject to the large-scale branded product recalls that appear in recall databases, which tend to involve large commercial operations with wide distribution. However, if you know the farm name, searching it in Recall Tracker is worthwhile. For local farm concerns, contact your state department of agriculture.
Hepatitis A virus can survive freezing and remains viable on frozen produce. Freezing does not inactivate the virus the way heat does. If frozen blueberries are recalled due to hepatitis A contamination, the frozen product is as hazardous as fresh product.
Not necessarily. Organic certification pertains to the use of synthetic pesticides and fertilizers, not to microbiological safety. Organic blueberries can be contaminated with hepatitis A, cyclospora, or other pathogens through the same routes as conventional berries — contaminated water, infected handlers, or improper sanitation. Organic products are subject to the same FDA oversight and can be recalled for the same reasons.
Search all food recalls to check your specific brand and product, and browse food brands to set up automatic alerts. You can also view recall statistics by category to understand trends in food safety over time. As of {{CURRENT_DATE}}, Recall Tracker is actively monitoring recalls from FDA, USDA, and seven additional agencies.
Start with the package label and look for the brand name, lot code, UPC, and whether the product was sold fresh or frozen. You can scan the barcode with RecallTracker at /scan for a fast match, or search the manufacturer manually at /brands if the barcode is missing or damaged. If you bought loose blueberries, check the store name, purchase date, and any posted recall notices.
Blueberry recalls have been tied to hazards including hepatitis A, cyclospora, and contamination concerns affecting both fresh and frozen products. Symptoms can appear days or even weeks after exposure, which is why older purchases still matter when you review recall history. RecallTracker’s /statistics page helps you see how often food recalls involve pathogen contamination versus labeling or foreign material issues.
Frozen blueberries can be recalled too, especially when contamination is discovered after processing, testing, or distribution across multiple states. Fresh blueberries may trigger urgent notices because they spoil quickly and are often eaten raw, while frozen products can stay in home freezers for months after a recall is announced. Checking both current and past listings in /brands is useful if you keep frozen fruit on hand.
If you still have the package, save it and compare the lot details against the recall notice before throwing everything away. Monitor for symptoms such as fever, nausea, diarrhea, or jaundice depending on the contamination involved, and contact a clinician or local health department if you may have been exposed. Premium features at /pricing can help with faster monitoring and alerts if you regularly buy products in recall-prone categories.
The fastest option is to scan new purchases with /scan and check the brand history at /brands before storing or serving them. You can also review food recall patterns on /statistics to see how produce categories trend over time and which hazards appear most often. If you want broader tracking and convenience features, RecallTracker Premium at /pricing is designed for users who want quicker recall awareness across the products they buy most.