Copyright Newsweek
The recall of two pasta salad products due to the risk of Listeria contamination has sparked the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) highest risk warning. Reser's Fine Foods, of Beaverton, Oregon, and The Kroger Company, of Cincinnati, Ohio, had both issued separate recalls for different pasta products on September 26. The FDA graded both recalls Class I, the highest of three classifications, on October 17. Newsweek reached out to the Kroger Company and Reser's Fine Foods for comment in an email sent outside of normal working hours. Why It Matters The FDA defines a Class I classification as a situation in which a product poses a reasonable probability of causing serious adverse health consequences or death. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Listeria sickens about 1,250 Americans every year and causes approximately 172 deaths. Listeria infection can be especially dangerous for young children, elderly people and people with weakened immune systems. It can also cause miscarriages or stillbirths for pregnant women. Short-term symptoms include high fever, severe headache, stiffness, nausea, abdominal pain and diarrhea. What To Know An FDA warning said the Kroger Company recall was for: Smoked Mozzarella Penne Salad, packaged in plastic containers with various weights, with UPC 227573-1XXXX (sold at deli service counters) or UPC 227573-2XXXX (sold as Grab-n-Go packages in deli departments), under the banners Kroger, Baker's, City Market, Dillons, Fred Meyer, Fry's, Gerbes, King Soopers, Payless, Ralphs and Smith's. The product was sold between August 29 and October 2 and distributed in Alaska, Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, California, Colorado, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Missouri, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, Nevada, Ohio, Oregon, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Washington and West Virginia. On October 4, Kroger said there had been no illnesses in relation to the recall. In a separate warning, the FDA said Reser's Fine Foods recall was for: Fresh Creative Foods (FCF) item #404637 Basil Pesto Bowtie Pasta Kit Item V, UPC#13454 38053. Perishable/Refrigerated product. Net wt. 10.5625lbs. This kit contains 2/3lbs. sealed bags of affected Bowtie Pasta, and it is not sold directly to consumers. The FDA release referred to the product as a salad kit. The use by dates of the affected products were: 9/13/2025 9/16/2025 9/18/2025 9/19/2025 9/20/2025 9/21/2025 9/23/2025 9/24/2025 9/25/2025 9/26/2025 9/27/2025 9/28/2025 9/29/2025 9/30/2025 10/1/2025 10/2/2025 10/3/2025 10/4/2025. The product was distributed in Arizona, California, Colorado, and Texas. What People Are Saying In its company announcement, Kroger said: “Kroger has removed these items from store shelves and initiated their customer recall notification system that alerts customers who may have purchased recalled products through register receipt tape messages and email alerts." What Happens Next The FDA said both recalls are ongoing. In a press release dated October 4, Kroger said customers who have purchased the product should not consume it and should return it to a store for a full refund or replacement.
