Recalled Marketside Linguine with Beef Meatballs & Marinara Sauce, sold at Walmart.

Thousands of ready-to-eat pasta products have been recalled in connection with an ongoing listeria outbreak that has killed four and touched major retailers including Walmart, Kroger and Trader Joe's.

An Oct. 9 notice from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) listed thousands of pre-cooked pasta products made by Nate's Fine Foods as being linked to the outbreak. The items were later distributed to makers of ready-to-eat meals. FreshRealm, a distributor from which multiple foods have now been recalled, along with the FDA and other partnering agencies, found that Nate's products tested positive for the outbreak strain of listeria.

Nate's Fine Foods first initiated a voluntary recall of 245,000 pounds of pre-cooked pasta on Sept. 25, citing potential listeria monocytogenes contamination. A notice shared by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Food and Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) at the time linked the pasta to ready-to-eat pasta meals sold at Walmart and Trader Joe's.

As health agencies continue to investigate, more grocery chains are issuing recalls of specific products, such as Sprouts' new Oct. 8 recall of ready-to-eat Smoked Mozzarella Pasta Salad.

The recalls are just the latest of a 15-state outbreak first announced in June. As of Sept. 25, there were 20 confirmed cases of listeria poisoning linked to the outbreak, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported. At least four people are dead, and nearly two dozen were hospitalized. In one case, a pregnant woman experienced fetal loss as a result of a related infection.

Nate's Fine Foods recalled items

Impacted Nate's Fine Foods pastas were distributed to California, Indiana, Pennsylvania and Texas, according to the FDA.

  • Cooked Linguine Pasta: 972 cases (29,160 lbs) of 6 x 5 lb packages with lot code 2372521 and use-by date 8/25/2026
  • Map Cooked Fettuccine Pasta: 1,357 cases (40,710 lbs) of 6 x 5 lb pouches with lot codes 2372522 2432521, 2512521 and 2572522, and use-by dates 10/9/2025, 10/15/2025, 10/23/2025, 10/29/2025
  • Fresh Creative Foods Cooked Farfalle Pasta: 1,442 cases (34,068 lbs) of 8 x 3 lb pouches with lot codes 2372523, 2432522, 2512522, and 2572523, and use-by dates 10/9/2025, 10/15/2025, 10/23/2025, 10/29/2025
  • Fresh Creative Foods Cooked Penne Pasta: 1,337 cases (32,088 lbs) of 8 x 3 lb pouches with lot codes 2382521, 2452521, 2572524, and 2512523, and use-by dates 10/10/2025, 10/17/2025, 10/23/2025, 10/29/2025
  • Cooked Linguine Pasta: 52 totes (73,050 lbs) of 5 lb pouches with lot codes 2452523 and 2592521, and use-by dates 10/17/2025 and 10/31/2025
  • Taylor Farms Cooked Rotini MAP: 383 cases (9,192 lbs) of 8 x 3 lb pouches with lot code 2532526 and use-by date 10/10/2025
  • Taylor Farms Cooked Farfalle MAP: 261 cases (6,264 lbs) of 8 x 3 lb pouches with lot code 2532525 and use-by date 10/10/2025
  • Taylor Farms Cooked Trotolle MAP: 846 cases (18,612 lbs) of 8 x 2.75 lb pouches with lot codes 2532521 and 2472524, and use-by dates 10/10/2025 and 10/04/2025
  • Cooked Fettuccine Pasta: 56 cases (1,680 lbs) of 6 x 5 lb pouches with lot code 2572521 and use-by date 9/14/2026

USA TODAY reached out to Nate's Fine Foods on Oct. 12 and did not receive an immediate response.

Other recalled items at Walmart, Kroger, Trader Joe's, more

Recalls tied to the listeria outbreak also stretch into the grocery aisle, as chains including Walmart, Kroger and Trader Joe's have recalled certain pasta products.

Here's a list of which items have been recalled at the retail level, according to the FDA:

  • Sprouts Farmers Market: Smoked mozzarella pasta salad - use by dates 10/10/25 to 10/29/25
  • Giant Eagle: Smoked mozzarella pasta salad – expiration dates 9/30/25 through 10/7/25
  • Kroger: Deli bowtie and penne pasta salads – sold on Aug. 29 through Oct. 2
  • Scott & Jon’s: Shrimp Scampi with Linguini Bowls (9.6-oz) – "best if used by" dates of 3/12/2027, 3/13/2027, 3/17/2027, 3/21/2027
  • Trader Joe’s: Cajun Style Blackened Chicken Breast Fettuccine Alfredo 16-oz plastic tray packages - "best if used by" dates of 9/20/2025, 9/24/2025, 9/27/2025, 9/28/2025, 10/01/2025, 10/03/2025, 10/05/2025, 10/08/2025, or 10/10/2025
  • Albertsons: Store-made deli pasta salads – "sell thru" dates from Sept. 8 to Oct. 4
  • Marketside (sold at Walmart): Linguine with Beef Meatballs & Marinara Sauce 12-oz. – "best if used by dates" of Sept. 22, Sept. 24, Sept. 25, Sept. 29, Sept. 30; and Oct. 1
  • Marketside (sold at Walmart): Grilled Chicken Alfredo with Fettuccine 12.3-oz – "best-by date" of June 26 or prior; and 32.8-oz – best-by date of June 27 or prior
  • Home Chef: Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo 12.5-oz – best-by date of June 19 or prior

What to do with recalled pasta meals

Both the CDC and FDA advise returning affected products to the place of purchase for a refund or tossing them in the trash.

Wash and sanitize bowls, cups, storage containers and other surfaces that may have come into contact with the recalled products. Always thoroughly wash your hands after handling and preparing food, especially raw or uncooked products.

4 dead in listeria outbreak, cases reported in 15 states

The listeria outbreak was first announced in June when the CDC began investigating reports of illness.

As of Sept. 25, there were 20 confirmed cases of listeria poisoning linked to the outbreak, the FDA reported in its latest update on Oct. 10. Of those, 19 people were hospitalized and four died. In one case, a pregnant woman experienced fetal loss as a result of a related infection.

Deaths occurred in Utah, Illinois, Michigan, and Texas. Associated infections were confirmed in the following 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) and Virginia (1 case).

These numbers only represent the known cases and likely do not depict the full extent of the outbreak, according to the CDC.

What are the symptoms of listeria poisoning?

Listeria poisoning is a foodborne bacterial infection most commonly caused by the bacterium listeria monocytogenes, according to the CDC. It is considered a serious condition and can be dangerous or life-threatening, especially to older adults, people with weak immune systems and pregnant women.

Per the CDC, symptoms include:

  • Fever
  • Muscle aches
  • Headache
  • Stiff neck
  • Confusion
  • Loss of balance
  • Convulsions
  • Diarrhea
  • Other gastrointestinal symptoms
  • Miscarriage, stillbirth, premature delivery and/or life-threatening infection of newborn infants
  • Death

People in higher-risk categories who experience flu-like symptoms within two months of consuming contaminated food should seek medical attention, according to the CDC.

Contributing: Natalie Neysa Alund, Amaris Encinas, USA TODAY

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Nearly 245,000 pounds of pasta recalled in connection with deadly listeria outbreak

Reporting by Mary Walrath-Holdridge and James Powel, USA TODAY / USA TODAY

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