Copyright NBC10 Boston
Federal health officials announced the death toll has risen in an ongoing listeria outbreak linked to recalled pasta meals as more states report new cases of illnesses and hospitalizations. The Food and Drug Administration confirmed two more deaths and seven new illnesses from three states have been reported since their last update on Sept. 25. As of Oct. 30, a total of 27 people across 18 states have been infected with the outbreak strain of listeria, which has also killed six people. The deaths were reported in Hawaii, Illinois, Michigan, Oregon, Texas and Utah. Of the 27 people sickened, 25 were hospitalized, and one pregnancy-associated illness resulted in fetal loss, according to the FDA. The agency urged consumer to "double check" their freezers for the recalled foods, which were sold at grocery chains nationwide, including Trader Joe's, Walmart, Kroger's and Albertson. Consumers should not eat or serve these products and are advised to throw them out or return them to the place of purchase for a refund. What are the recalled pasta products? The affected pasta came from Nate's Fine Foods of Roseville, California. The recalls impact certain lots of pre-cooked pasta including fettucine, linguine and farfalle (bowtie). Sprouts Farmers Market Smoked Mozzarella Pasta Salad - product use by dates 10/10/25 - 10/29/25 (Sprouts Farmers Market recall) Giant Eagle smoked mozzarella pasta salad – expiration dates 9/30/25 through 10/7/25 (Giant Eagle recall) Kroger stores recalled deli bowtie and penne pasta salads – sold on AUG 29 2025 thru OCT 2 2025 (Kroger recall) Scott & Jon’s Shrimp Scampi with Linguini Bowls 9.6-oz – best if used by dates of 3/12/2027, 3/13/2027, 3/17/2027, 3/21/2027 (Demers Food Group Recall) Trader Joe’s Cajun Style Blackened Chicken Breast Fettucine Alfredo 16-oz plastic tray packages with “best if used by” dates of 9/20/2025, 9/24/2025, 9/27/2025, 9/28/2025, 10/01/2025, 10/03/2025, 10/05/2025, 10/08/2025, or 10/10/2025 (USDA FSIS public health alert) Albertsons stores recalled store-made deli pasta salads – sell thru dates from SEP 8 2025 to OCT 4 25 (Albertsons recall) Marketside Linguine with Beef Meatballs & Marinara Sauce 12-oz. – best if used by dates of SEP 22, 2025; SEP 24, 2025; SEP 25, 2025; SEP 29, 2025; SEP 30, 2025; and OCT 01, 2025 (USDA FSIS public health alert) Marketside Grilled Chicken Alfredo with Fettuccine 12.3-oz – best-by date of June 26, 2025, or prior; and 32.8-oz – best-by date of June 27, 2025, or prior (FreshRealm recall) Home Chef Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo 12.5-oz – best-by date of June 19, 2025, or prior (FreshRealm recall) Additional products may be identified, according to USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service. What do we know about the outbreak? Federal health officials began investigating the outbreak in June after illnesses were reported in several states and testing later confirmed that chicken fettuccine alfredo meals produced by FreshRealm were contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes that were making people sick. In September, FreshRealm conducted tests that detected the listeria in linguine used in the meatball dish. The strain matched the listeria identified in the chicken fettuccine Alfredo, the company said. “We have long maintained that the source of the listeria was likely an ingredient supplied by a third party,” the company said in a statement at the time. What are the symptoms of listeria infections? Listeria infections can cause serious illness, particularly in older adults, people with weakened immune systems and those who are pregnant or their newborns. Symptoms include fever, muscle aches, headache, stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance and convulsions. About 1,600 people get sick each year from listeria infections and about 260 die, the CDC says. Federal officials in December said they were revamping protocols to prevent listeria infections after several high-profile outbreaks, including one linked to Boar’s Head deli meats that led to 10 deaths and more than 60 illnesses last year.
