The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has issued a health warning for certain heat-and-eat pasta meals sold at Walmart and Trader Joe’s due to potential listeria contamination. The affected products include “Marketside Linguine with Beef Meatballs & Marinara Sauce” sold at Walmart with “best if used by” dates from September 22 to October 1, 2025, and “Trader Joe’s Cajun Style Blackened Chicken Breast Fettucine Alfredo” with dates of September 20, 24, and 27, 2025.
The USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) updated the public health alert to include these products, which bear establishment numbers “EST. 50784,” “EST. 47718,” and “P-45288” inside the USDA mark of inspection. The meals may contain the same listeria strain linked to a previous deadly outbreak involving chicken fettuccine Alfredo sold at Walmart and Kroger, which resulted in four deaths and at least 20 illnesses.
FreshRealm, the distributor, advised Walmart to remove the meals from shelves, and Walmart has halted sales. The listeria was detected in linguine used in the meatball dish, with the pasta sourced from Nate’s Fine Foods in Roseville, California. The USDA advises consumers to discard or return these products.
Listeria infections can cause serious illness, especially in older adults, those with weakened immune systems, and pregnant women. Symptoms include fever, muscle aches, and gastrointestinal issues. If you experience symptoms after consuming these products, seek medical care and inform your doctor about the potential exposure.
For questions, consumers can contact Nate’s Fine Foods at 916-677-7303 or the USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline at 888-674-6854. More updates will be provided as the investigation continues.
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