6 dead, 25 hospitalized in US listeria outbreak tied to recalled pasta meals

The FDA said the outbreak, initially announced in June, has triggered a series of recalls involving ready-to-eat pasta products containing pasta supplied by Nate’s Fine Foods, NBC News reported on Monday. Listeria are bacteria that can contaminate many foods.​​​​​​​

The agency is coordinating with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to probe the multistate listeria outbreak.

"Since the last CDC case count update on September 25, 2025, a total of 7 new illnesses from 3 states have been reported, with 2 additional deaths reported," the FDA said, adding that "one pregnancy-associated illness resulted in a fetal loss."

Of the 27 reported cases, 25 patients had been hospitalized as of Thursday.

In total, cases have been detected across 18 states, including California, Florida, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Louisiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, North Carolina, Nevada, Ohio, Oregon, South Carolina, Texas, Utah, Virginia and Washington.

The recalled items include a range of precooked pasta meals sold at major retailers, including Kroger, Walmart, Albertsons-owned stores, Trader Joe’s, Giant Eagle and Sprouts, featuring products such as chicken Alfredo, meatball pasta, shrimp scampi bowls and deli pasta salads.

The FDA urged the public to check their refrigerators and freezers for recalled items, warning that listeria can cause severe illness, particularly among older adults, those with weakened immune systems, pregnant women and newborns. The infection can lead to fever, muscle aches, neurological symptoms and, in pregnancy, serious complications including miscarriage or stillbirth.

Listeria is the third-leading cause of foodborne illness deaths in the US, with about 1,250 cases and 172 deaths annually, according to the CDC.