Three people have died and more than a dozen others were sickened in an outbreak of listeria linked to premade chicken pasta meals sold at Walmart and Kroger stores, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The chicken fettuccine Alfredo meals were made by FreshRealm, which issued a nationwide recall of the products. They are no longer available for sale, the C.D.C. said.
As of Wednesday, 17 listeria cases tied to the outbreak had been reported in 13 states, according to the Food and Drug Administration. They were Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Louisiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, North Carolina, Nevada, Ohio, South Carolina, Texas and Virginia.
One of the people sickened was a pregnant woman, whose illness led to the loss of the fetus, the F.D.A. said.
Health officials said they were still investigating the precise source of the outbreak.
The recalled meals were sold in the refrigerated sections at Kroger and Walmart under the brand names Marketside and Home Chef, according to the C.D.C.
Three products were recalled:
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32.8-oz. tray packages of Marketside grilled chicken Alfredo with fettuccine tender pasta with creamy Alfredo sauce, white meat chicken and shaved Parmesan cheese, with a best-by date of June 27, 2025, or earlier.
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12.3-oz. tray packages of Marketside grilled chicken Alfredo with fettuccine tender pasta with creamy Alfredo sauce, white meat chicken, broccoli and shaved Parmesan cheese, with a best-by date of June 26, 2025, or earlier.
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12.5-oz. tray packages of Home Chef “Heat & Eat” chicken fettuccine Alfredo with pasta, grilled white meat chicken and Parmesan cheese, with a best-by date of June 19, 2025, or earlier.
Health officials urged people not to eat the meals and to clean fridges, containers and other surfaces that may have come into contact with them. Listeria can survive in refrigerators and easily spread to other foods and surfaces, the C.D.C. warned.
Food inspectors found this strain of listeria in sickened people from August 2024 to last month. The Food Safety and Inspection Service found the same strain of the bacteria during a routine check on a FreshRealm location in March 2025, according to the F.D.A.
FreshRealm produces food at locations in California, Georgia and Indiana.
Listeria bacteria, which are naturally found in soil, can contaminate many foods. Most people who ingest it don’t get very sick, if they develop symptoms at all. The bacteria are most harmful to people who are pregnant, who are 65 or older, or who have weakened immune systems.
About 1,600 people in the United States develop serious listeria infections, known as listeriosis, every year, and about 260 of those infections are fatal, according to the C.D.C.
In February, about two million baked goods, including some doughnuts and coffee rolls sold at Dunkin’, were recalled over concerns of listeria contamination.
The same month, frozen shakes sold to nursing homes, hospitals and other institutions were recalled after the drinks were tied to a yearslong deadly listeria outbreak.
Last year, 10 people died and more than 60 people were sickened after a listeria outbreak linked to a Boar’s Head deli meat plant in Virginia. Boar’s Head permanently shut down the plant last September.
Claire Moses is a Times reporter in London, focused on coverage of breaking and trending news.
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