The USDA has issued a warning against specific ready-to-eat pasta meals sold at Walmart and Trader Joe’s due to possible Listeria contamination. The affected products include Marketside beef meatballs with marinara sauce and Trader Joe’s Cajun-style blackened chicken fettucine Alfredo. These meals are linked to a recent fatal outbreak, which has caused four deaths and at least 20 illnesses.
Consumers are advised to discard these meals and can obtain a full refund from Walmart. Although no illnesses have been reported for the specific products in question, FreshRealm, the distributor, detected Listeria in the beef meatball meals. The strain matches that found in the previous chicken Alfredo outbreak.
Federal health officials are working with suppliers to address the contamination. Listeria can cause severe illness, particularly in vulnerable populations. The CDC reports that around 1,600 people become ill from Listeria annually, with approximately 260 fatalities.
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