Consumer News: Frozen blueberries sold at Publix recalled after 12 E. coli illnesses

The product poses serious risk to people allergic to milk and eggs

By Mark Huffman of ConsumerAffairs

• Reser's Fine Foods is recalling about 5,300 pounds of ready-to-eat pasta salad because some containers may actually contain chicken salad with undeclared egg and milk allergens.

• The recalled product was distributed to foodservice locations in seven states: Alabama, Florida, North Carolina, New Jersey, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia.

• Consumers should not eat the product and should throw it away or return it to the place of purchase, the USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service said.

Reser's Fine Foods is recalling approximately 5,300 pounds of a ready-to-eat pasta salad product after discovering that some containers were mislabeled and may actually contain chicken salad with undeclared egg and milk allergens, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA's) Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS).

The Class I recall the highest threat level involves five-pound plastic tubs labeled "Molly's Kitchen California Style Pasta Salad" with the "USE BY JUL/16/26 430" date printed on the side. The product was produced on June 11, 2026, and bears establishment number P-00874 on the container.

According to the FSIS, the containers labeled as pasta salad may actually contain ready-to-eat chicken salad. Because chicken salad contains egg and milk, consumers with allergies or sensitivities to either ingredient could face a potentially serious health risk if they eat the mislabeled product.

Distributed in seven states

The affected product was shipped to distributors in Alabama, Florida, North Carolina, New Jersey, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia for further distribution to foodservice locations, meaning consumers may have received the product through restaurants, cafeterias, or other foodservice establishments rather than retail grocery stores.

The company discovered the problem after notifying the FSIS that some ready-to-eat chicken salad products had mistakenly been labeled as pasta salad.

As of the recall announcement, no confirmed illnesses or allergic reactions had been reported. However, FSIS advises anyone concerned about a possible reaction to contact a healthcare provider.

What to do

Because the product may still be in refrigerators, the FSIS is urging consumers not to eat it. Instead, the agency says the product should be discarded or returned to the place of purchase.

The FSIS said it will conduct routine recall effectiveness checks to verify that customers have been notified and that the affected product has been removed from commerce.

The agency also plans to post retail distribution lists on its recall website if they become available.

The move comes as consumers continue to feel the effects of inflation

By Mark Huffman of ConsumerAffairs

• Walmart and Sam's Club are cutting prices on thousands of products this summer, including groceries, grilling essentials, beverages, outdoor items, and seasonal merchandise.

• The retailer says shoppers can expect lower prices on everyday necessities and summer favorites, with discounts available in stores and online, as families contend with higher living costs.

• The initiative comes as affordability remains a top concern for consumers, with Walmart positioning the price cuts as part of its long-standing low-price strategy.

Walmart and Sam's Club are rolling out price cuts on thousands of products this summer, a move aimed at helping shoppers stretch their budgets as they stock up for backyard barbecues, vacations, and back-to-school shopping.

The nation's largest retailer said the savings span groceries, fresh produce, beverages, grilling supplies, outdoor living products, apparel, toys, and other seasonal items. The promotions are available across Walmart stores, Sam's Club locations, and online, the company said.

Among the featured discounts are a roughly 12% reduction in the price of ground beef, a 50% cut in the price of cherries, and a one-third reduction on a 24-pack of Coca-Cola, now priced at $9.97. Walmart also said it is lowering prices on a variety of household goods, clothing, and toys.

The company said the effort is intended to help families make the most of the summer season by reducing the cost of both everyday essentials and seasonal purchases.

Multiple categories are included

Walmart said its signature Rollbacks and Sam's Club savings are designed to provide value across a broad range of categories, from food and beverages to fuel and outdoor entertaining. The retailer noted that customers are continuing to look for ways to save as they manage household budgets.

The announcement comes at a time when affordability remains a key issue for many consumers following several years of elevated inflation. Walmart has increasingly emphasized value pricing to attract shoppers across all income levels, including higher-income households seeking lower prices.

President Donald Trump praised the retailer's move in a social media post Monday, calling on other retailers to follow Walmart's example. Walmart's announcement, however, focused on helping customers save during the summer season and did not reference any role by the administration in the pricing initiative.

Walmart said the lower prices are available now and will continue throughout the summer as shoppers prepare for holidays, vacations, and the upcoming back-to-school season.

Your spending habits are full of clues let AI help you find them

• Connect your finances. ChatGPT can now analyze your spending, subscriptions, and income to deliver personalized money-saving advice.

• Spot easy savings. Use AI to find forgotten subscriptions, spending leaks, and realistic ways to cut your monthly expenses.

• Trust, but verify. AI is a helpful financial coach, but major tax, retirement, and investment decisions still deserve professional advice.

For some time now, many consumers have been comfortable using ChatGPT to build budgets, compare mortgage payments, and explain investing.

Now, it can do something much more personal that can really help you get ahead financially.

OpenAI has begun rolling out a new feature that lets users securely connect their financial accounts to ChatGPT using Plaid, giving the AI access to spending patterns, recurring bills, income, and account balances. The goal is to provide more personalized financial insights instead of generic budgeting advice.

While the feature is initially available to ChatGPT Pro subscribers, it offers a glimpse into where personal finance tools are headed. Here's what it can do, where it can help, and where you should still be cautious.

What ChatGPT can actually see

After securely connecting your accounts through Plaid, ChatGPT can categorize transactions and identify spending patterns across thousands of financial institutions.

Instead of simply asking, "How can I save money?" you can now ask questions based on your actual finances, such as:

• "Where am I spending the most money each month?"

• "How much am I really spending on restaurants?"

• "Which subscriptions am I paying for but rarely use?"

• "How much did I spend on groceries last year?"

• "How much could I save if I cut dining out by 20%?"

The big takeaway here is that instead of AI spewing out some generic personal finance advice, ChatGPT can now answer questions using your actual financial data.

Find subscriptions you've forgotten about

One of the easiest ways to save money is identifying recurring charges, some of which you may have completely forgotten about.

Instead of scrolling through months of statements looking for them, simply ask:

• "List every recurring subscription I pay for."

• "Which subscriptions increased in price this year?"

• "Show me subscriptions I haven't used recently."

Many consumers discover streaming services, apps, gym memberships, and software subscriptions they completely forgot they were paying for.

Pro tip: Use AI to identify recurring bills worth negotiating. After ChatGPT identifies your subscriptions and monthly bills, ask, "Which of these could I realistically lower or negotiate?" Then ask which competitors have lower prices, or current discounts, that you can use as ammo when you make the call.

Spot those sneaky spending leaks

Small purchases often go unnoticed and can easily lead to a blown budget.

To find these leaks, you can ask ChatGPT:

• "Where did I spend the most money that surprised you?"

• "Compare this month's spending to last month's."

• "Which spending category has increased the fastest?"

These questions can quickly reveal habits like frequent coffee runs, impulse Amazon purchases, or food delivery expenses that quietly add up.

Build a realistic savings plan

Instead of using online calculators based on a bunch of averages, ChatGPT can work with your actual cash flow and help you make a savings plan.

To make it happen, try prompts like:

• "How can I save $5,000 in the next year?"

• "How much house can I realistically afford?"

• "Could I realistically increase my retirement contributions by 3%?"

Because it's analyzing your real income and expenses, the recommendations can be much more personalized than those traditional budgeting worksheets youre used to.

Prepare for large purchases

Planning a vacation? Need a new vehicle? Or maybe youre thinking about replacing your old roof?

Ask ChatGPT to estimate how those purchases fit into your budget based on your existing expenses instead of rough guesses.

It can also identify areas where temporarily reducing your spending could help you reach your goal faster, which is very cool.

Review your spending before it becomes a problem

Many people don't notice financial trends until they're already overspending.

Try making it a monthly habit to ask AI to review your spending by asking the following:

"Summarize my spending this month. What changed? What concerns you? What should I improve next month?"

You just might find that this type of regular financial checkup may be more valuable than creating an annual budget that you'll never revisit.

Don't let AI make every financial decision

Despite the new capabilities, it should be said that ChatGPT isn't replacing a certified financial planner.

Financial professionals interviewed by news organizations found the chatbot generally provides solid educational guidance but may overlook important tax issues, estate planning considerations, or investment strategies unique to your situation. OpenAI itself says the tool should complement, not replace, professional financial advice.

Your privacy matters

Before connecting any financial account, make sure youre using strong passwords and multi-factor authentication.

Also, be sure to review what information you're sharing and always disconnect accounts you no longer want linked.

Lastly, avoid sharing any account numbers or sensitive personal information in conversations unless absolutely necessary.

Even though the connection uses Plaid (a service already used by many budgeting apps) it's still wise to periodically review which apps have access to your financial accounts.

Here's what happened when a hypothetical $10,000 investment was put to the test over five years

• A MarketWise analysis found that some Pokmon collectibles outperformed Bitcoin, gold, and the S&P 500 over a five-year period.

• Experts say timing matters, and chasing viral investment trends can leave consumers buying after prices have already peaked.

• Whether you're investing in stocks, crypto, or collectibles, understanding what you own and the risks involved is more important than following the latest hype.

When people think about investing, they usually picture stocks, ETFs, or maybe even cryptocurrency.

But what if one of the biggest winners over the past five years wasn't a traditional investment at all?

A new MarketWise analysis compared how a hypothetical $10,000 investment would have performed across 21 different assets between January 2021 and April 2026. The study looked at everything from cryptocurrencies and meme stocks to gold, sneakers, and Pokmon collectibles and some of the results may come as a surprise.

ConsumerAffairs spoke with James Royal, Senior SEO Writer at MarketWise, who broke down what the data reveals, why some unexpected assets outperformed more familiar investments, and what consumers should keep in mind before chasing eye-catching returns.

The key findings

According to Royal, some of the biggest winners werent what youd expect.

A sealed Pokmon card ended up beating Bitcoin, gold, and even the S&P 500 over the time period we analyzed, he explained.

Just because something is driving headlines doesnt mean itll deliver the best returns. We found that several popular AI funds actually trailed a basic S&P 500 index fund. At the end of the day, the timing was crucial. Those who bought the same investment didnt wind up with the same results when they were a few months apart.

What investment lessons can consumers take away?

Royals biggest piece of investing advice: dont buy into the hype you see online.

Dont let viral TikTok videos or headlines convince you that investing is about jumping on the bandwagon and chasing whatever everyone else is buying, he said. Whether its Pokmon cards, crypto, or stocks, people often dive in after prices have already taken off.

On top of that, he encourages consumers to do their homework to get a better understanding of how different investment options work from the inside out/

If youre interested in investing, a good starting point is educating yourself on how assets gain value, understanding the risks involved, and only investing money that you can stand to do without for a while, Royal said. Slow and steady typically beats chasing the latest fad.

Tried-and-true investments such as an S&P 500 index fund have delivered long-term returns for investors for years. However, investing in fads may leave you with worthless cardboard, as traders move on to the next hot thing. So, its important to understand which investments will create lasting value over time.

What to do if youre a Pokemon collector

If you have a box of old Pokemon cards in your house somewhere, dont start tearing into them just yet. Instead, take some time to evaluate what you have.

Sealed products have become more valuable, and specifically, certain cards can be worth far more than you might think, Royal said. Digging around online to check out recent sales or talking with someone at a reputable card shop can save you from potentially giving away something thats worth hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars.

Additionally, Royal explained that its unlikely that every Pokmon product is going to keep skyrocketing in value forever.

Every collectible market has periods where the energy is running hot, and then prices cool off, he said.

Investing doesnt always look how youd expect

One of the biggest lessons from this experiment: investing isnt always what you expect it to be.

Sometimes its a brokerage account, and sometimes its a collection youve spent years building up, without realizing the financial value it offers, Royal said. Its important to understand what you own before making a decision, and dont be reactive.

Whether its Pokmon cards, sneakers, or stocks, knowledge is typically what separates a wise investment from an expensive mistake.