Summary:
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has issued a public health alert advising consumers to avoid certain ready-to-eat pasta meals sold at Walmart and Trader Joe’s due to potential listeria contamination. Products include Marketside Linguine with Beef Meatballs & Marinara Sauce and Trader Joe’s Cajun Style Blackened Chicken Breast Fettuccine Alfredo. Listeria, linked to a deadly outbreak earlier this year, poses serious health risks, especially to vulnerable populations. No illnesses have been reported yet, but consumers are urged to discard the products immediately.
What This Means for You:
- Check your refrigerator for the affected products with specific establishment numbers and best-by dates listed in the alert.
- Discard the contaminated meals immediately to avoid potential health risks, such as listeria infections.
- Return the products to Walmart or Trader Joe’s for a full refund as a precautionary measure.
- Stay informed about future alerts, as additional products may be identified as potentially contaminated.
Original Post:
The U.S. Department of Agriculture is warning consumers not to eat certain ready-to-eat pasta meals sold at Walmart and Trader Joe’s stores because they may be contaminated with listeria bacteria previously linked to a deadly outbreak tied to pre-made chicken fettuccine Alfredo meals.
In an announcement Thursday, the USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) issued a public health alert for Marketside Linguine with Beef Meatballs & Marinara Sauce sold at Walmart in refrigerated 12-ounce clear plastic trays. The products have best-by dates of Sept. 22 through Oct. 1 and may still be in consumers’ refrigerators.
In an update on Friday, the FSIS added to its public health alert some meals sold at Trader Joe’s, the Trader Joe’s Cajun Style Blackened Chicken Breast Fettuccine Alfredo, sold in 16-ounce plastic tray packages with “best if used by” dates of Sept. 20, Sept. 24 or Sept. 27. The products contain the establishment number “P- 45288” inside the USDA mark of inspection. The stores possibly affected are in Arizona, California, Nevada, New Mexico and Utah, Trader Joe’s said Friday.
The affected meals from Walmart contain the establishment numbers “EST. 50784” and “EST. 47718” inside the USDA mark of inspection on the label. They were sent to Walmart stores nationwide.
U.S. Agriculture Department via AP 
“The health and safety of our customers is always a top priority. We have removed this product from our impacted stores and we are working with the supplier to investigate,” a Walmart spokesperson said in a statement to CBS News on Friday.
There have been no reported illness complaints for the product in question and consumers should discard the meals if they have them and can receive a full refund at any Walmart store. Trader Joe’s told customers to discard the product or return it to their local store for a full refund.
“We are issuing this guidance in an abundance of caution because testing of another brand with a shared ingredient source indicated this product may have the potential to be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes,” Trader Joe’s said on its website. “There have been no positive Listeria tests for the Trader Joe’s product itself, and there have been no reports of illness associated with these production codes.”
No recall has been issued, but FreshRealm, a large food producer that distributed the products, said they advised Walmart this week to pull the meals from store shelves. Additional products may be identified, according to the FSIS.
The meals may be contaminated with the same strain of listeria that caused an outbreak tied to chicken fettuccine Alfredo meals sold at Walmart and Kroger stores. Four people were killed and at least 20 were sickened in the outbreak, which federal health officials updated on Friday evening. The outbreak led to a large recall this summer.
“FreshRealm held beef meatball marinara linguine meals after they tested positive for the outbreak strain,” the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said in its update Friday. “Pasta that went into the beef meatball marinara linguine meals has tested positive for Listeria, but additional information is pending to determine if the samples taken from the pre-cooked pasta is the same strain making people sick. Do not eat affected foods, return them or throw them out.”
FreshRealm conducted tests that detected the listeria in linguine used in the meatball dish, company officials said. The strain matched the listeria identified in the chicken fettuccine Alfredo outbreak, 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.
The pasta came from Nate’s Fine Foods of Roseville, California. The company did not immediately respond to questions from The Associated Press.
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, tiredness, headache, stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance and convulsions, according to the CDC.
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.
Extra Information:
CDC Listeria Information: Learn more about listeria symptoms, prevention, and treatment. USDA Food Safety Updates: Stay updated on the latest food safety alerts and recalls.
People Also Ask About:
- What is listeria? Listeria is a bacteria that can cause serious infections, especially in high-risk groups.
- How does listeria contamination occur? It often stems from contaminated food products, particularly those that are ready-to-eat.
- What are the symptoms of listeria infection? Symptoms include fever, muscle aches, confusion, and balance issues.
- Who is most at risk for listeria? Pregnant women, older adults, and individuals with weakened immune systems are most vulnerable.
- How can listeria infections be prevented? Avoid contaminated foods, practice good hygiene, and follow food safety guidelines.
Expert Opinion:
Food safety experts emphasize the importance of stringent inspection protocols and proactive recalls to prevent listeria outbreaks. This incident highlights the need for greater transparency in supply chains and stricter enforcement of food safety regulations to protect public health.
Key Terms:
- Listeria contamination in ready-to-eat meals
- USDA public health alert for pasta products
- Listeria symptoms and prevention
- Walmart and Trader Joe’s food recalls
- FreshRealm listeria outbreak investigation
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