Walmart, Kroger, And Trader Joe's Involved In Frozen Meal Listeria Outbreak Linked To 4 Deaths

If you're a fan of the frozen prepared meals at Walmart, Trader Joe's, and Kroger, it's time to open your freezer and check some numbers. On September 25, 2025, the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) issued a public health alert concerning pre-cooked, frozen pasta meals connected to an outbreak of Listeria monocytogenes. So far, the outbreak has affected customers in over a dozen different states, including California, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Louisiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nevada, North Carolina, Ohio, South Carolina, Texas, and Utah, though the recall applies nationwide.

Additionally, FSIS has linked the strain to another Listeria outbreak that involved several Walmart and Kroger pre-cooked pasta products back in June of this year. According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), this means that there have been a total of four deaths on top of 19 hospitalizations and 20 overall cases. While an official statement from Trader Joe's specified that "there have been no positive Listeria tests for the Trader Joe's product itself, and there have been no reports of illness associated with these production codes," the advisory was issued out of "an abundance of caution."

From Walmart, customers should be on the lookout for the 12-ounce "Marketside Linguine with Beef Meatballs & Marinara Sauce" with "best if used by" dates that range from September 22, 24, 25, 29, 30, 2025, and October 1, 2025. These should include an establishment number of "EST. 50784" or "EST. 47718." From Trader Joe's, customers should look for the 16-ounce "Trader Joe's Cajun Style Blackened Chicken Breast Fettuccine Alfredo" with "best if used by" dates of September 20, 24, or 27, 2025, and an establishment number of "P-45288." This outbreak may just make it onto a new list of the biggest food recalls in Walmart history.

The origin of the Listeria outbreak is believed to be due to contamination from a shared pasta supplier among the varying manufacturers known as Nate's Fine Foods. Per the brand's aforementioned statement, Trader Joe's issued its advisory "because testing of another brand with a shared ingredient source indicated this product may have the potential to be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes." The retailer is offering a full refund for customers who purchased the product in Arizona, California, Nevada, New Mexico, and Utah. If customers purchased the products at Walmart or Kroger, FSIS recommends either returning the products or throwing them away entirely. None of these products made our ranking of the 20 best frozen dinner brands, anyway.

Listeria is a serious infection that can cause fever, muscle aches, and gastrointestinal issues, with symptoms that can start within 10 weeks of consuming a contaminated item. It especially affects those with autoimmune deficiencies or who are currently pregnant. If you find an affected product in your refrigerator (including this massive seafood recall occurring in three states), it's best to discard it immediately and deeply clean the surfaces where the affected product touched. FSIS also advises that "persons in the higher-risk categories who experience flu-like symptoms within two months after eating contaminated food should seek medical care and tell the health care provider about eating the contaminated food."