Six people have died and 25 have been hospitalized due to a listeria outbreak linked to convenience pasta dishes that have now been recalled, according to updated information provided last week by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
The outbreak was first announced in June and has led to a wave of recalls of ready-to-eat pasta dishes that include pasta from food supplier Nate’s Fine Foods, according to the FDA. The agency is collaborating with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to investigate the listeriosis outbreak in several states.
“Since the CDC’s last case count update on September 25, 2025, a total of 7 new cases have been reported in 3 states, with 2 additional deaths,” the FDA wrote in its Thursday update, adding that “a pregnancy-associated illness caused fetal loss.”
Of the 27 people who have fallen ill due to this outbreak, 25 had been hospitalized as of Thursday.
Cases have been reported in 18 states: California, Florida, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Louisiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, North Carolina, Nevada, Ohio, Oregon, South Carolina, Texas, Utah, Virginia and Washington.
What foods are affected?
In September, Nate’s Fine Foods announced a recall of several pre-cooked pasta dishes, some of which are sold in grocery chains:
- FreshRealm’s Home Chef Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo, 12.5 Ounce (sold at Kroger and Walmart).
- FreshRealm’s Marketside Grilled Chicken Alfredo with Fettuccine, 12.3 and 32.8 ounces (on sale at Kroger and Walmart).
- FreshRealm’s Marketside Linguine with Beef Meatballs and Marinara Sauce, 12 oz (on sale at Walmart).
- Delicatessen pasta salads made at Albertsons Companies stores (sold under multiple brands, including Albertsons, Safeway and Vons).
- Trader Joe’s Cajun Chicken Breast with Fettuccine Alfredo, 16-ounce plastic containers.
- Scott & Jon’s Garlic Shrimp with Linguine, Demer Food Group, 9.6-ounce containers.
- Bowtie and Penne Pasta Salads from Kroger.
- Giant Eagle Smoked Mozzarella Pasta Salad.
- Smoked Mozzarella Pasta Salad from Sprouts Farmers Market.
The FDA advises consumers to “double check your refrigerators and freezers for recalled foods.”
Consuming foods contaminated with listeria can cause listeriosis, a dangerous infection that can seriously affect older adults, people with weak immune systems, pregnant women and newborns, according to the Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS).
“Listeria can cause fever, muscle aches, headache, stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance, and seizures, sometimes preceded by diarrhea or other gastrointestinal symptoms,” FSIS said in a statement. “In pregnant women, the infection can cause spontaneous abortions, stillbirths, premature births, or life-threatening infections in the newborn.”
Listeria infection is the third leading cause of death from foodborne illnesses in the United States, the CDC explained. Each year, an estimated 1,250 people become infected with listeria and 172 die from the infection in the country.
