Deadly listeria outbreak linked to chicken alfredo fettucine sold at Kroger and Walmart
A listeria food poisoning outbreak that has killed three people and led to one pregnancy loss is linked to newly recalled heat-and-eat chicken fettucine alfredo products sold at Kroger and Walmart stores, federal health officials said.
The outbreak, which includes at least 17 people in 13 states, began last August, officials said late Tuesday.
FreshRealm, a large food producer with sites in California, Georgia and Indiana, is recalling products made before June 17. The recall includes these products, which were shipped to retail stores:
— 32.8-ounce trays of Marketside Grilled Chicken Alfredo with Fettucine Tender Pasta with Creamy Alfredo Sauce, White Meat Chicken and Shaved Parmesan Cheese with best-by dates of June 27 or earlier.
— 12.3-ounce trays of Marketside Grilled Chicken Alfredo with Fettucine Tender Pasta with Creamy Alfredo Sauce, White Meat Chicken, Broccoli and Shaved Parmesan Cheese with best-by dates of June 26 or earlier.
— 12.5-ounce trays of Home Chef Heat & Eat Chicken Fettucine Alfredo with Pasta, Grilled White Meat Chicken and Parmesan Cheese, with best-by dates of June 19 or earlier.
The strain of listeria bacteria tied to the outbreak has been detected in sick people from August through May, health officials said. The same strain that made people sick was found in a sample of chicken fettucine alfredo during a routine inspection in March. That product was destroyed and never sent to stores. Officials said they have not identified the specific source of the contamination.
Officials with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said the agency is investigating the outbreak, and planned to release more details. It was not clear which states are involved or where the deaths and pregnancy loss occurred.
Consumers shouldn't eat the products, which may be in their refrigerators or freezers. They should be thrown away or returned to place of purchase.
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 said. 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.
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Chicago Tribune
5 hours ago
- Chicago Tribune
Deadly listeria outbreak linked to chicken alfredo fettucine sold at Kroger and Walmart
A listeria food poisoning outbreak that has killed three people and led to one pregnancy loss is linked to newly recalled heat-and-eat chicken fettucine alfredo products sold at Kroger and Walmart stores, federal health officials said late Tuesday. The outbreak, which includes at least 17 people in 13 states, began last July, officials said. At least 16 people have been hospitalized. FreshRealm, a large food producer with sites in California, Georgia and Indiana, is recalling products made before June 17. The recall includes these products, which were sold in the refrigerated sections of retail stores: — 32.8-ounce trays of Marketside Grilled Chicken Alfredo with Fettucine Tender Pasta with Creamy Alfredo Sauce, White Meat Chicken and Shaved Parmesan Cheese with best-by dates of June 27 or earlier. — 12.3-ounce trays of Marketside Grilled Chicken Alfredo with Fettucine Tender Pasta with Creamy Alfredo Sauce, White Meat Chicken, Broccoli and Shaved Parmesan Cheese with best-by dates of June 26 or earlier. — 12.5-ounce trays of Home Chef Heat & Eat Chicken Fettucine Alfredo with Pasta, Grilled White Meat Chicken and Parmesan Cheese, with best-by dates of June 19 or earlier. The strain of listeria bacteria that made people sick was found in a sample of chicken fettucine alfredo during a routine inspection in March, U.S. Agriculture Department officials said. That product was destroyed and never sent to stores. Officials said they have not identified the specific source of the contamination. Cases have been identified through retail shopper records and interviews with sick people. The listeria strain tied to the outbreak has been detected in people who fell ill between July 24 and May 10, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported. The deaths were in Illinois, Michigan and Texas. Cases have been reported in Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Louisiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, North Carolina, Nevada, Ohio, South Carolina, Texas and Virginia. The number of sick people is likely higher than now known and cases may be detected in additional states. Officials are continuing to receive reports of illnesses linked to the product and 'are concerned that contamination is still occurring,' the CDC said. Consumers shouldn't eat the products, which may be in their refrigerators or freezers. They should be thrown away or returned to the place of purchase. 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 said. 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.
Yahoo
6 hours ago
- Yahoo
Chicken fettuccine Alfredo products voluntarily recalled over listeria concerns
Ready-to-eat grilled chicken fettuccine Alfredo products that were sold at Walmart and Kroger have been voluntarily recalled due to possible listeria contamination, the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service announced Tuesday. Food manufacturer FreshRealm's establishments in San Clemente, California; Montezuma, Georgia; and Indianapolis, Indiana, are voluntary recalling the prepared pasta dishes because they "may be adulterated with an outbreak strain of Listeria monocytogenes," the FSIS stated. The recalled products may be linked to a multistate outbreak of listeria infections across 13 states that has sickened 17 people and resulted in at least three deaths in Illinois, Michigan and Texas as of this week, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. One "pregnancy associated illness resulted in a fetal loss," the agency said Wednesday. Three products are affected by the recall. According to FreshRealm, the meals were sold nationwide "at Walmart, under the Marketside brand and Kroger, under the Home Chef brand." The affected products include: 32.8-ounce tray packages containing "MARKETSIDE GRILLED CHICKEN ALFREDO WITH FETTUCCINE Tender Pasta with Creamy Alfredo Sauce, White Meat Chicken and Shaved Parmesan Cheese," with best-by dates of June 27, 2025, or prior. 12.3-ounce tray packages containing "MARKETSIDE GRILLED CHICKEN ALFREDO WITH FETTUCCINE Tender Pasta with Creamy Alfredo Sauce, White Meat Chicken, Broccoli and Shaved Parmesan Cheese," with best-by dates of June 26, 2025, or prior. 12.5-ounce tray packages containing "HOME CHEF Heat & Eat Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo with pasta, grilled white meat chicken, and Parmesan cheese," with best-by dates of June 19, 2025, or prior. The products have a USDA mark of inspection on the label, as well as establishment numbers EST. P-50784, EST. P-47770 or EST. P-47718 printed on the side of the packaging, the FSIS said this week. "FreshRealm has notified Walmart and Kroger to remove this meal from their shelves and inventory. Consumers who have purchased the meal should destroy it or return it to the place of purchase for a refund," FreshRealm stated in a press release Wednesday, adding that the company "remains committed to the highest standards of food safety" and is "working closely" with the Food and Drug Administration, FSIS and CDC "to provide full transparency and access throughout the process." The recall does not apply to any other FreshRealm products, the company said. Consumers with questions about the recall can contact FreshRealm customer service at (888) 244-1562. The outbreak strain of listeria was identified in samples collected from sick individuals between Aug. 1, 2024, and May 27, 2025. State and local public health officials interviewed 11 people about the foods they consumed in the month before they got sick, and seven reported eating pre-cooked meals, with four stating specifically that they had eaten chicken fettucine Alfredo products. The outbreak strain of listeria was isolated from a routine chicken fettuccine Alfredo sample collected by FSIS in a FreshRealm establishment in March 2025. The agency noted that "the lot of chicken fettuccine alfredo represented by this sample was held during sampling, destroyed, and never entered commerce," and "subsequent investigations at the establishment that produced this product, and into the product ingredients, have not identified the source of contamination." In its press release Wednesday, FreshRealm stated that it "has not received any direct reports of illness associated with the product and has received information on cases from the regulatory agencies, including that four consumers have reported eating the chicken alfredo product." "The recalled product has not been established as a cause of any of these cases," the company said. Of the 17 people sickened by the outbreak strain of listeria, 16 were hospitalized. According to the CDC, the "true number of sick people in this outbreak is likely higher than the number reported," and the outbreak "may not have been limited to the states with known illnesses ... because some people recover without medical care and are not tested for Listeria." "In addition, recent illnesses may not yet be reported as it usually takes 3 to 4 weeks to determine if a sick person is part of an outbreak," the CDC stated. Listeria is a bacteria that when ingested can cause an infection known as listeriosis, according to the CDC. The condition is most dangerous for pregnant people, newborns, people with weakened immune systems and adults 65 or older, the agency said. For people who are pregnant, being infected by listeria can cause pregnancy loss or premature birth. According to the CDC, an estimated 1,600 people get listeriosis annually in the U.S. and about 260 people die from it.
6 hours ago
Ready-to-eat chicken fettuccine Alfredo products voluntarily recalled due to listeria concerns
Ready-to-eat grilled chicken fettuccine Alfredo products that were sold at Walmart and Kroger have been voluntarily recalled due to possible listeria contamination, the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service announced Tuesday. Food manufacturer FreshRealm's establishments in San Clemente, California; Montezuma, Georgia; and Indianapolis, Indiana, are voluntary recalling the prepared pasta dishes because they "may be adulterated with an outbreak strain of Listeria monocytogenes," the FSIS stated. The recalled products may be linked to a multistate outbreak of listeria infections across 13 states that has sickened 17 people and resulted in at least three deaths in Illinois, Michigan and Texas as of this week, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. One "pregnancy associated illness resulted in a fetal loss," the agency said Wednesday. Details of chicken fettuccine Alfredo recall Three products are affected by the recall. According to FreshRealm, the meals were sold nationwide "at Walmart, under the Marketside brand and Kroger, under the Home Chef brand." The affected products include: 32.8-ounce tray packages containing "MARKETSIDE GRILLED CHICKEN ALFREDO WITH FETTUCCINE Tender Pasta with Creamy Alfredo Sauce, White Meat Chicken and Shaved Parmesan Cheese," with best-by dates of June 27, 2025, or prior. 12.3-ounce tray packages containing "MARKETSIDE GRILLED CHICKEN ALFREDO WITH FETTUCCINE Tender Pasta with Creamy Alfredo Sauce, White Meat Chicken, Broccoli and Shaved Parmesan Cheese," with best-by dates of June 26, 2025, or prior. 12.5-ounce tray packages containing "HOME CHEF Heat & Eat Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo with pasta, grilled white meat chicken, and Parmesan cheese," with best-by dates of June 19, 2025, or prior. The products have a USDA mark of inspection on the label, as well as establishment numbers EST. P-50784, EST. P-47770 or EST. P-47718 printed on the side of the packaging, the FSIS said this week. "FreshRealm has notified Walmart and Kroger to remove this meal from their shelves and inventory. Consumers who have purchased the meal should destroy it or return it to the place of purchase for a refund," FreshRealm stated in a press release Wednesday, adding that the company "remains committed to the highest standards of food safety" and is "working closely" with the Food and Drug Administration, FSIS and CDC "to provide full transparency and access throughout the process." The recall does not apply to any other FreshRealm products, the company said. Consumers with questions about the recall can contact FreshRealm customer service at (888) 244-1562. Details of the multistate listeria outbreak The outbreak strain of listeria was identified in samples collected from sick individuals between Aug. 1, 2024, and May 27, 2025. State and local public health officials interviewed 11 people about the foods they consumed in the month before they got sick, and seven reported eating pre-cooked meals, with four stating specifically that they had eaten chicken fettucine Alfredo products. The outbreak strain of listeria was isolated from a routine chicken fettuccine Alfredo sample collected by FSIS in a FreshRealm establishment in March 2025. The agency noted that "the lot of chicken fettuccine alfredo represented by this sample was held during sampling, destroyed, and never entered commerce," and "subsequent investigations at the establishment that produced this product, and into the product ingredients, have not identified the source of contamination." In its press release Wednesday, FreshRealm stated that it "has not received any direct reports of illness associated with the product and has received information on cases from the regulatory agencies, including that four consumers have reported eating the chicken alfredo product." "The recalled product has not been established as a cause of any of these cases," the company said. Of the 17 people sickened by the outbreak strain of listeria, 16 were hospitalized. According to the CDC, the "true number of sick people in this outbreak is likely higher than the number reported," and the outbreak "may not have been limited to the states with known illnesses ... because some people recover without medical care and are not tested for Listeria." "In addition, recent illnesses may not yet be reported as it usually takes 3 to 4 weeks to determine if a sick person is part of an outbreak," the CDC stated. What to know about listeria and its symptoms Listeria is a bacteria that when ingested can cause an infection known as listeriosis, according to the CDC. The condition is most dangerous for pregnant people, newborns, people with weakened immune systems and adults 65 or older, the agency said. For people who are pregnant, being infected by listeria can cause pregnancy loss or premature birth. According to the CDC, an estimated 1,600 people get listeriosis annually in the U.S. and about 260 people die from it.
