3 killed in listeria outbreak linked to pasta sold at Walmart, Kroger
Three people have died and more than a dozen others were hospitalized following an outbreak of listeria that has been linked to premade chicken fettuccine alfredo meals sold nationwide at Kroger and Walmart, federal health officials said Wednesday.
FreshRealm, the Texas-based food manufacturer that makes the packaged products, issued a voluntary recall on Tuesday of chicken fettuccine alfredo meals made before June 17 “out of an abundance of caution,” the company said in a statement Wednesday.
“FreshRealm is issuing this voluntary recall strictly as a precautionary step with a full commitment to public health and safety,” the company said.
The outbreak spans 13 states, including Florida, North Carolina, Texas and Virginia, according to the Food and Drug Administration.
The recalled meals are sold in the refrigerated section at Walmart and Kroger:
- 32.8 oz. tray Marketside Grilled Chicken Alfredo With Fettuccine packages with a best-by date of June 27 or earlier.
- 12.3 oz. tray Marketside Grilled Chicken Alfredo With Fettuccine packages with a best-by date of June 26 or earlier.
- 12.5 oz. tray Home Chef Heat & Eat Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo packages with a best-by date of June 19 or earlier.
Federal health officials advise people to clean their refrigerator, containers and surfaces that may have come into contact with the chicken pasta meals. The listeria bacteria, which causes listeriosis, can survive in the refrigerator and can easily spread to other foods and surfaces, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Listeria is typically spread when food is harvested, processed, prepared, packed, transported or stored in manufacturing or production environments contaminated with the bacteria, according to the FDA.
Pregnant women, newborns, older adults and people with weakened immune systems are more susceptible to a serious infection, according to the CDC. In pregnant women, a listeria infection can cause a miscarriage, stillbirth, premature delivery or a life-threatening infection of the newborn. One of the people sickened in the outbreak was a pregnant woman who lost the fetus, the FDA said.
The CDC advises pregnant women to call their health provider if they experience symptoms such as fever, muscle aches and fatigue. Others should call if they experience headaches, stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance and convulsions, in addition to fever, muscle aches and tiredness, the CDC said.
Food inspectors first detected the outbreak strain in sickened people in August 2024, the USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service said. The same outbreak strain was found in a chicken fettuccine alfredo sample in March, which was destroyed and never sent to stores. Federal health inspectors have not determined the source of the contamination.
The investigation - which involves the CDC, FDA and FSIS, in collaboration with state and local agencies - is ongoing.