Fatal Listeria Outbreak Linked To Foods At Walmart, Trader Joe’s

With just about 90 days, or three months left in 2025, Illinois has already seen multiple food product recalls for a variety of reasons. Here are just a few (but not all) that we've had to deal with since January, along with the reason for the recall:

• Tuna salad (listeria)
• Frozen shrimp (potential contamination with Cesium-137, a radioactive isotope)
• Frozen vegetables and fruits (salmonella)
• Raw dog and cat food (salmonella and listeria)
• Turkey wraps (listeria)

Now, another outbreak that has made 20 people sick and killed four has prompted yet another food product recall traced to two companies that have multiple stores in Illinois

By the way, if you're curious as to which food products are recalled more often than others, here's a breakdown:

• Fresh Produce (Fruits and Vegetables)
• Ready-to-Eat Meat and Poultry
• Seafood
• Baby Food and Infant Formula
• Packaged Snack Foods

Across the US, fresh produce is recalled more frequently than any other single category, followed closely by ready-to-eat meats and seafood. Baby foods get extra attention because even tiny contamination levels trigger recalls.

A Listeria Outbreak Traced To Ready-To-Eat Pasta Meals Sold By Popular Grocery Stores Across The Country Has Grown, With 3 More Illnesses Reported And Another Death

Authorities have yet to determine the exact source of the outbreak, but preliminary testing has linked beef meatball marinara linguine meals sold under the brand Marketside, and chicken fettuccine alfredo meals sold under the brands Marketside, Home Chef and Trader Joe's, as being possible links. These products were sold at Walmart, Kroger and Trader Joe's stores in Illinois and nationwide.

USDA Food Safety And Inspection Service (FSIS):

The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is issuing a public health alert for ready-to-eat meals containing a Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulated pre-cooked pasta that may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes (Lm)

One of the producing companies collected samples of the FDA-regulated, pre-cooked pasta used as an ingredient in its product as part of the ongoing investigation related to the Listeria outbreak linked to chicken fettuccine alfredo meals. The test confirmed that the linguine pasta was positive for Lm and further testing confirmed the Lm is genetically related to the specific outbreak strain.

Here's What You Should Look For At Home, And What You Should Do If You Find It

According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the following products are affected by the outbreak or recall and should not be consumed:

Marketside Linguine with Beef Meatballs & Marinara Sauce 12-oz. Best if used by dates of Sept. 22, 2025; Sept. 24, 2025; Sept. 25, 2025; Sept. 29, 2025; Sept. 30, 2025; and Oct. 1, 2025; establishment number “EST. 50784” or “EST. 47718”; sold at Walmart.

16-oz. plastic tray packages labeled Trader's Joe's Cajun Style Blackened Chicken Breast Fettuccine Alfredo with best if used by dates of Sept. 20, 2025; Sept. 24, 2025; Sept. 27, 2025; establishment number “P- 45288”; sold at Trader Joe's.

The USDA is concerned that some of these products may be in consumers' refrigerators or freezers. People who have purchased these products are urged not to consume them. You can either throw the food products away, or return them to the store of purchase for a full refund.