The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has updated and expanded a food safety alert regarding possible Listeria contamination in several prepared pasta meal products.

The extent of the outbreak is now known to have occurred in at least 15 states and has unfortunately resulted in multiple deaths. Here’s what you need to know.

What’s happened?

On Friday, the CDC issued a new alert along with an expanded list of prepared pasta meal products that may be contaminated with Listeria, a potentially deadly bacterium.

According to an accompanying CDC tracking page, there have now been 20 cases of Listeria believed to be related to the outbreak. The first reported case happened back in August of 2024. An additional four cases, for a total of five for the year, were reported by that December.

But in 2025, the number of cases for the year has so far tripled to 15, bringing the total number of those who have gotten sick from this outbreak to 20. The most recent confirmed sickness from the outbreak occurred on September 11.

Of the 20 cases, the CDC says that 19 have resulted in hospitalizations. Unfortunately, four individuals have died due to consuming food linked to this outbreak.

What products are included in the outbreak?

A number of products have been associated with the Listeria outbreak. These products have been reported by both the CDC and the USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS). 

September 26: The CDC said the following product has been added:

• “FreshRealm held beef meatball marinara linguine meals”

September 25: An FSIS notice said the following products were included:

• “Marketside Linguine With Beef Meatballs & Marinara Sauce”
• “Trader Joe’s Cajun Style Blackened Chicken Breast Fettucine Alfredo”

June 2025: An FSIS notice said other ready-to-eat pasta meals were believed to be possibly contaminated with Listeria. Those included:

• “Marketside Grilled Chicken Alfredo With Fettuccine Tender Pasta With Creamy Alfredo Sauce, White Meat Chicken and Shaved Parmesan Cheese”
• “Marketside Grilled Chicken Alfredo With Fettuccine Tender Pasta With Creamy Alfredo Sauce, White Meat Chicken, Broccoli and Shaved Parmesan Cheese”
• “Home Chef Heat & Eat Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo with Pasta, Grilled White Meat Chicken, and Parmesan Cheese”

All the products listed above have various sell-by dates and other marks listed in the notices that can help determine if the product in possession is one covered under a recall or alert.

Where were the products sold?

The products listed above were sold at various stores nationwide. Depending on the product, it could have been sold at:

• Kroger
• Walmart
• Trader Joe’s

Some of the products may have expiration dates that have already passed, and may also no longer be on sale, yet they could remain in a person’s refrigerator. 

Where is the outbreak located?

This Listeria outbreak has now spread to 15 states:

• California: 2 cases
• Florida: 1 case
• Illinois: 1 case
• Indiana: 1 case
• Louisiana: 2 cases
• Michigan: 2 cases
• Minnesota: 1 case
• Missouri: 1 case
• Nevada: 1 case
• North Carolina: 1 case
• Ohio: 1 case
• South Carolina: 1 case
• Texas: 3 cases
• Utah: 1 case
• Virginia: 1 case

However, the CDC stresses that these are only the known cases and likely to not represent the full extent of the outbreak. “This outbreak may not have been limited to the states with known illnesses, and the true number of sick people is likely higher than the number reported,” the agency noted.

What is Listeria and what are its symptoms?

Listeria is a bacterium that can cause serious illness in individuals, according to the CDC. The agency says that about 1,250 people are infected with Listeria in America each year. Of those cases, about 172 die.

Anyone can contract a Listeria infection, but the infection is particularly harmful for pregnant women, newborns, people with weakened immune systems, and those aged 65 or older.

Symptoms of a Listeria infection can differ depending on whether an individual is pregnant or not and whether the illness is invasive (has spread to other body parts beyond the intestines) or not, according to the CDC.

In pregnant individuals, invasive symptoms include fever and flu-like symptoms. In other individuals, invasive illness symptoms include the above plus headache, stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance, and seizures.

Intestinal illness can include symptoms of diarrhea and vomiting. 

What should I do if I have the products included in the outbreak?

You should not eat the affected food.

The FSIS says the products should instead be thrown away or returned to their place of purchase.

The CDC also has instructions on how to clean your refrigerator if it contains recalled food.

Full details about the outbreak and the recalls can be found on the CDC’s notices here and here and the FSIS’s notices here and here.