A listeria outbreak linked chicken alfredo meals sold at Walmart and Kroger grocery stores has resulted in three deaths and a fetal loss so far, U.S. public health agencies said this week.
According to a recall notice from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, its Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is investigating the outbreak linked to FreshRealm Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo Meals. As of this week, 17 illnesses related to the product have been reported across 13 states: Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Louisiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nevada, North Carolina, Ohio, South Carolina, Texas and Virginia. Most of the illnesses (16) have resulted in hospitalizations.
A strain of Listeria monocytogenes (Lm) was isolated from all ill people, with dates ranging from last August to this May, the FSIS said. It added that the same outbreak strain was isolated from a routine chicken fettuccine alfredo sample collected by FSIS in a FreshRealm establishment this March.
“The lot of chicken fettuccine alfredo represented by this sample was held during sampling, destroyed, and never entered commerce,” said the FSIS. “The subsequent investigations at the establishment that produced this product, and into the product ingredients, have not identified the source of contamination.”
Purchase records from two of the people who fell ill were used to trace the outbreak to purchased chicken fettuccine alfredo products to FreshRealm establishments. Another two people who fell ill described the chicken alfredo meals.
While recalled meals are no longer on shelves, they were sold nationwide at Kroger and Walmart under the Marketside brand and the Home Chef brand, per the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. These pre-assembled, ready-for-microwave meals have establishment numbers “EST. P-50784,” “EST. P-47770,” or “EST. P-47718” on the label in the USDA mark of inspection and best buy dates of June 27, 2025, June 26, 2025 and June 19, 2025.
“FSIS identified products produced by FreshRealm that matched the descriptions during follow-up at the retail stores where they shopped,” FSIS explained.
Listeria symptoms can start within two weeks of exposure, according to the CDC. However, they can begin as early as the same day or 10 weeks later. These symptoms can include headache, stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance, convulsions, fever, muscle aches and tiredness.
Infection with listeria can be especially harmful to pregnant women and result in fetal loss, premature birth and life-threatening infections in newborns, even if symptoms are mild. People who are age 65 and older or who have weakened immune systems are also more vulnerable to listeria infections.
“This is because Listeria is more likely to spread beyond their gut to other parts of their body, resulting in a severe condition known as invasive listeriosis,” the CDC explained.
An investigation into the outbreak is ongoing, according to the FSIS and the CDC, with a particular focus on whether a specific ingredient in the meals is the source of the listeria contamination. Both agencies warn people not to consume the recalled chicken fettuccine alfredo meals from FreshRealm.
For those who purchased or may have purchased the meals, the CDC recommends cleaning refrigerators, containers, and surfaces that may have touched the chicken fettuccine alfredo meals in order to reduce the risk of infection. Listeria can survive even in refrigerators and can easily spread.
Additionally, the U.S Food and Drug Administration instructs anyone who may have purchased the meals to contact their retailers and health care providers.