4 Killed, 19 Ill in Listeria Outbreak Connected to Pasta Meals
The food we eat can sometimes become contaminated. Unfortunately, a listeria outbreak among pasta meals led to four deaths and 19 hospitalizations.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced a recall of several ready-to-eat pasta meals due to listeria poisoning. The meals were sold at Walmart, Albertsons, Trader Joe’s, and Kroger stores.
The CDC announced the listeria outbreak in June, and that was when the investigation began. On September 25, the Food Safety and Inspection Service issued a public health alert for the pasta meals that may be contaminated with listeria. As of September 30, there were 20 confirmed cases of listeria poisoning with the outbreak spanning across 15 states.
Four people died from listeria. The fatalities occurred in four states: Texas, Illinois, Michigan, and Utah. One of those was a pregnancy-associated illness that resulted in the loss of a fetus.
Infections from the outbreak were confirmed in 15 states. Texas had the most cases of listeria: three. Louisiana and Michigan had two cases each. The numbers include known cases only.
Affected Products
The affected products include the following:
- Albertsons: Albertsons Companies’ ready-to-eat pasta salads were sold at Albertsons with best-by dates of September 8 through 29, in 15 states. The affected items contained a bowtie pasta ingredient manufactured by Nate’s Fine Foods.
- Trader Joe’s: Cajun-style blackened chicken breast fettuccine alfredo with best-by dates of September 20, September 24, and September 27. They were sold in five states.
- Walmart: Marketside Linguine with Beef Meatballs & Marinara Sauce with best-by dates of September 22 through October 1. They were sold in Walmart stores around the country.
- Kroger and Walmart: Marketside Grilled Chicken Alfredo with Fettuccine and Home Chef Heat & Eat Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo with best-by dates between June 19 and 27.
What is Listeria?
Listeria monocytogenes is a harmful bacterium that causes the infection listeriosis. Unlike most bacteria, Listeria can thrive in cold environments such as refrigerators, which makes it a persistent threat in food storage and processing facilities.
It is most commonly transmitted through contaminated food, particularly unpasteurized milk and cheeses, deli meats, hot dogs, smoked fish, and raw vegetables. While those who are healthy may only experience mild symptoms, the infection can be life-threatening for pregnant women, newborns, older adults, and people with weakened immune systems.
Symptoms typically appear within a few days to several weeks after eating contaminated food and may include:
- Fever and chills.
- Muscle aches and fatigue.
- Nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea.
- Headache or stiff neck.
In pregnant women, listeriosis can lead to miscarriage or premature birth.
Contact Us Today
Food can easily become contaminated with various bacteria and cause illnesses or even fatalities. When this happens, it is important to understand your legal rights.
Product manufacturers have a duty to provide consumers with safe and effective products. If a faulty or defective product has injured you or a loved one, seek legal help from a Mt. Juliet product liability lawyer from The Law Offices of Christopher Eads, PLLC. To schedule a consultation, call (615) 622-6060 or fill out the online form.
Source:
thehill.com/policy/healthcare/5533955-listeria-outbreak-pasta-meals/
