The USDA recommends that consumers refrain from eating certain ready-to-eat meals featuring pre-cooked pasta sold at Trader Joe’s and Walmart. These products are more frequently found in household refrigerators than on retail shelves.
USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service
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USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service
Authorities in public health are advising the disposal of specific packaged pasta dishes sold at two prominent supermarket chains amid concerns over contamination with Listeria monocytogenes, which is connected to a growing nationwide listeriosis outbreak.
Recently, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) issued an alert regarding two products with expiration dates spanning late September to early October: Walmart’s Marketside Linguine with Beef Meatballs & Marinara Sauce, and Trader Joe’s Cajun Blackened Chicken Breast Fettuccine Alfredo.
According to USDA findings, the pasta contained in these meals may be contaminated with Listeria strains genetically linked to a fatal outbreak affecting 15 states, including California, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Louisiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, North Carolina, Nevada, Ohio, South Carolina, Texas, Utah, and Virginia.
This health crisis first emerged in June when several ready-to-eat chicken fettuccine Alfredo meals, manufactured by FreshRealm, Inc. and retailed at Kroger and Walmart, were recalled due to Listeria contamination, triggering a federal inquiry.
Subsequent investigations led FreshRealm to test ingredients used in its Marketside meatball linguine. Recent laboratory results detected Listeria in the pasta, with genetic sequencing confirming it matches the strain responsible for the earlier chicken Alfredo recalls, the FDA announced on Monday.
The FDA stated, “This particular Listeria strain is directly associated with the illnesses reported in this outbreak.”
To date, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has documented four deaths and at least 20 confirmed infections, with nearly all patients requiring hospitalization. Tragically, one infection in a pregnant woman resulted in the loss of her fetus.
This CDC map illustrates the states where listeriosis cases have been confirmed as of late September. Officials warn the outbreak could extend beyond these areas.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
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Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
The CDC has interviewed 13 individuals affected by the outbreak; seven reported eating pre-packaged meals before becoming ill, with four specifically identifying chicken fettuccine Alfredo.
Since June, three additional cases have been reported in two other states, though the CDC suspects the true number is higher, as some people recover without seeking medical care. Confirming infections linked to this outbreak can take three to four weeks after symptoms begin.
Listeriosis poses the greatest risk to pregnant individuals, newborns, elderly adults over 65, and those with weakened immune systems.
Symptoms may include fever, muscle aches, gastrointestinal distress, neck stiffness, confusion, and difficulties with balance. These signs usually appear within two weeks after consuming contaminated food but can emerge anywhere from the same day up to 10 weeks later, according to the CDC.
Both the CDC and FDA recommend that anyone who has purchased these products should immediately discard them, thoroughly clean refrigerators and any surfaces that may have contacted the meals, and consult a healthcare provider if symptoms develop.
Possibility of More Products Being Affected
At present, the recalled pasta dishes and the previously withdrawn chicken Alfredo meals are more commonly found in consumers’ homes rather than on store shelves.
For example, Trader Joe’s chicken pasta meals with expiration dates of September 20, 24, and 27 were
FreshRealm did not respond to NPR’s request for comment before publication but informed The Associated Press that the likely source of Listeria was an ingredient supplied by a third party. The USDA has identified Nate’s Fine Foods as the supplier of the pasta. This company provides precooked pasta and grains to wholesale food services and restaurants but does not sell directly to retail outlets. “Nate’s Fine Foods is cooperating fully with the FDA and its clients to determine if additional recalls are warranted,” the USDA stated, urging consumers to monitor official public health announcements for updates. In recent years, the United States has faced multiple Listeria outbreaks, including a 2024 incident linked to deli meats that caused 10 deaths and numerous hospitalizations nationwide. A USDA report from January attributed that outbreak to inadequate sanitation at a now-closed Boar’s Head facility in Virginia and outlined steps to improve Listeria control measures.
