Listeria prepared pasta recall: Seven dead and 27 ill from recalled Nate's Fine Foods pasta meals sold at major supermarkets including Trader Joe's and Walmart
Seven people have died and 27 have fallen ill after eating recalled pasta meals sold at major supermarkets.
The ready-to-eat pasta salads and prepared meals supplied by Nate's Fine Foods were recalled due to a listeria outbreak. The meals are sold at major grocery chains nationwide in America, including at Trader Joe's, Sprouts Farmers Market, Kroger and Walmart.
The listeria outbreak tied to the prepared pasta meals has expanded. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has now reported two additional deaths and seven new illnesses.
In total, the outbreak across 18 states has sickened 27 people and caused six deaths and one fetal loss. Listeria is "a bacteria that can contaminate many foods” according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Those who consume the contaminated items begin experiencing symptoms as early as the same day or as late as 10 weeks after. Six deaths were reported in the states of Hawaii, Illinois Michigan, Oregon, Texas and Utah.
One pregnancy-associated illness, meanwhile, resulted in the loss of a baby. In addition to the 27 cases reported, the CDC said the true number of sick people tied to the outbreak is likely higher, given it takes three to four weeks to determine if a sick person is part of such. Some people may also recover from the illness without seeking medical care.
Back in June, epidemiologic, laboratory and traceback data showed that chicken fettuccine alfredo meals produced by FreshRealm were contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes that were making people sick. In the following months, FreshRealm tested ingredients used in the meals and pasta from Nate’s Fine Foods after which the manufacturer initiated the voluntary recall of more than 245,000 pounds of prepared pasta dishes.
According to the CDC, pasta ingredients from Nate’s Fine Foods were later confirmed to be positive for Listeria monocytogenes. While state and local health officials continue to “gather information of what ill people ate before getting sick," they encourage consumers to return or discard recalled foods.