Health officials have ended their investigation into a multistate Listeria outbreak linked to prepared pasta meals distributed by FreshRealm and made with contaminated pasta from Nate’s Fine Foods.
The outbreak resulted in massive recalls for pre-made meals containing pasta that were sold under popular brand names including:
- Trader Joe’s
- Albertsons
- Marketside
- Home Chef
- Giant Eagle
- Scott & Jon’s.
The contamination resulted in 28 confirmed cases across 19 states: Arizona, California, Hawaii, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Louisiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, North Carolina, Nevada, Ohio, Oregon, South Carolina, Texas, Utah, Virginia, and Washington.
Three deaths occurred in Texas, with additional fatalities in Arizona, Hawaii, Illinois, Michigan, Oregon, and Utah. One pregnancy ended in fetal loss.
According to the CDC’s investigation update, of the 26 people with available information, 25 were hospitalized.
The outbreak strain was identified in routine sampling as early as March 2025, but the initial recall wasn’t issued until June 2025, and full recalls didn’t occur until September and October 2025 — a delay that left contaminated products on store shelves for months.
Listeria monocytogenes survives at refrigeration temperatures, making prepared ready-to-eat meals particularly dangerous vectors. Symptoms include fever, headache, muscle aches, and gastrointestinal illness.
High-risk groups — pregnant women, elderly individuals, and immunocompromised people — face serious complications including meningitis, sepsis, and death. Pregnancy complications include fetal loss, premature birth, miscarriage, and a devastating infection in the newborn baby.