Frozen Fruit Recall Hits El Paso & Texas Food Chains

PRO TIP: Avoid frozen fruit this summer. Why?

An official recall notification has been issued concerning frozen fruit products that were distributed to major retailers including Walmart, Whole Foods, Trader Joe's, Target, Aldi, and AWG stores in over 30 states.

Texas included.

The reason why it's best just to avoid it at this point is because the company that was affected, SunOpta Inc., distributes to multiple brand names.

The company released the following statement:

SunOpta Inc’s subsidiary, Sunrise Growers Inc., has issued a voluntary recall of specific frozen fruit products linked to pineapple provided by a third-party supplier due to the potential for these products to be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes.

Listeria monocytogenes is a type of bacteria that can cause a severe foodborne illness called listeriosis. It can contaminate a variety of foods and can survive at even refrigeration temperatures, making it a concern for refrigerated and ready-to-eat foods.

The full list of products and brands is long and complicated. But I'm here to help.

Products were distributed via the following retailers:

• Walmart: Great Value Mixed Fruit, Great Value Dark Sweet Cherries, and Great Value Mango Chunks sold at stores in AR, AZ, CA, CO, DC, IA, ID, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MD, MN, MO, MT, ND, NE, NM, NV, OH, OK, OR, PA, SD, TX, UT, VA, WV and WY from January 19, 2023 to June 13, 2023
• Whole Foods: 365 Organic Tropical Fruit Medley, 365 Organic Pineapple Chunks, 365 Pineapple Chunks, 365 Organic Whole Strawberries, 365 Organic Slice Strawberries and Bananas, and 365 Organic Blackberries distributed to select stores throughout the US from November 1, 2022 to June 21, 2023
• Trader Joe’s: Trader Joe’s Organic Tropical Fruit Blend distributed to select distribution centers or stores in AK, AL, CT, CO, DE, IA, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MA, MD, ME, MI, MN, MO, NE, NH, NJ, NM, NY, OH, OK, PA, RI, TN, TX, VA, VT, WI, and Washington DC from March 28, 2023 to April 11, 2023
• Target: Good & Gather Organic Cherries and Berries Fruit Blend, Good & Gather Dark Sweet Whole Pitted Cherries, Good & Gather Mango Strawberry Blend, Good & Gather Mixed Fruit Blend, Good & Gather Mango Chunks, Good & Gather Blueberries, and Good & Gather Triple Berry Blend distributed nationwide from October 14, 2022 to May 22, 2023
• Aldi: Season’s Choice Tropical Blend distributed to select distribution centers or stores in AL, AR, CT, FL, GA, IA, KS, KY, MA, MD, MI, MO, MS, NC, NE, NH, NY, OH, OK, PA, RI, SC, TN, TX, VA, VT and WV from October 11, 2022 to May 22, 2023
• AWG (Associated Wholesale Grocers): Best Choice Pitted Red Tart Cherries Unsweetened distributed to select distribution centers or stores in KS, MO, NE and OK from April 5, 2023 to May 4, 2023

Time to check that freezer!

If you happen to have any of the stuff that got recalled, click here to check the codes.

It's a good idea to either toss them out the right way or take them back to where you bought them and get a refund.

The frozen fruit items, which were packaged by Sunrise Growers, have been linked to bad pineapple sourced from a third-party supplier.