Walmart and Kroger have urgently recalled three popular ready-to-eat pasta dishes after a terrifying outbreak of listeria left at least 17 people sick and three dead.
The recall, announced Tuesday by the USDA, involves several sizes of chicken fettuccine alfredo meals that were sold under both the Marketside and Home Chef Heat & Eat brands. Health officials are warning customers not to eat the meals and to either toss them or return them immediately.
The meals in question include the 32.8-ounce Marketside Grilled Chicken Alfredo Fettuccine with a best-by date of June 27 or earlier, 12.3-ounce packages of the same product with a best-by date of June 26, and 12.5-ounce Home Chef Heat & Eat Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo with a best-by date of June 19 or earlier. These meals may be contaminated with listeria, a bacterium that can cause severe illness or death, especially in young children, older adults, and pregnant women.
The USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service confirmed that these products were pulled from shelves after multiple consumers who were diagnosed with listeriosis reported eating them. Two victims said they ate the exact products now recalled, while two others described similar dishes. Tragically, three people who fell ill have died from the infection, which can cause fever, stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance, and even convulsions. In pregnant women, listeria can lead to stillbirth or miscarriage.
The impacted items were sold at both Walmart and Kroger locations. Consumers are being told to look for establishment numbers EST. P-50784, EST. P-47770, or EST. P-47718 on the side of the packaging. If you see any of these on your meal, even if the best-by date hasn’t passed, throw it away immediately. The bacteria can survive in refrigeration, and listeria infections can be serious and even fatal if left untreated. Anyone who suspects they’ve eaten the contaminated meals and starts feeling symptoms should seek medical help fast. Thankfully, listeriosis can be treated with antibiotics if caught early.
This isn’t the first recall tied to Walmart lately. In April, over 1,700 pounds of Cabot Creamery butter were yanked from shelves after tests revealed it was contaminated with fecal matter. The butter had elevated levels of coliform bacteria, often found in animal waste. More recently, millions of eggs were recalled from Walmart and Safeway locations due to contamination concerns. These disturbing incidents have led to dozens of illnesses and growing concern among shoppers.
With so many recent food safety failures, consumers are being urged to check their fridges and freezers carefully. This listeria scare is just the latest in a series of recalls that have rocked Walmart and Kroger customers in recent months. While the companies have acted fast to pull products, the damage for some has already been done.
As of now, FreshRealm, the manufacturer of the recalled pasta dishes, has agreed to pull all affected items. However, since the products have already been widely distributed and stored in homes, the USDA is stressing the importance of consumer action. If you’ve purchased any ready-to-eat chicken alfredo meals from Walmart or Kroger recently, especially with best-by dates falling before late June, don’t take the risk. Toss them, or return them for a refund.
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