Listeria Outbreak Prompts Recall of Pasta Salads and Meal Kits
A listeria outbreak has led to the recall of various products and a warning from federal health officials. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports around 1,600 annual cases and 260 deaths from listeria infections. This latest outbreak is linked to an earlier one involving heat-and-eat pasta meals.
Several companies, including Kroger, Giant Eagle, and Albertson's, have pulled pasta salads and other dishes made with Nate's Fine Foods products due to potential listeria contamination. Meanwhile, the USDA has issued a public health alert for Hello Fresh Ready Made Meals containing spinach. The affected kits are 10.1-ounce containers of Cheesy Pulled Pork Pepper Pasta and 10-ounce containers of Unstuffed Peppers with Ground Turkey. These were produced by FreshRealm and shipped directly to consumers.
The contamination was discovered after FreshRealm notified the USDA that the spinach used tested positive for listeria bacteria. The exact sales dates for the contaminated Hello Fresh meal kits have not been publicly disclosed. Listeria infections can cause serious illness, particularly in vulnerable populations, with symptoms including fever, muscle aches, headache, stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance, and convulsions. Federal officials are reviewing protocols to prevent such outbreaks following several high-profile cases, including one linked to Boar's Head deli meats last year.
Consumers are urged to check their homes for the recalled products and not to eat them. The affected pork pepper pasta has lot codes 49107 or 48840, while the unstuffed peppers with ground turkey have lot codes 50069, 50073, or 50698. Anyone who has eaten these products and experiences symptoms should seek medical attention. The CDC advises that listeria can be killed by cooking food thoroughly.
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