A listeria food poisoning outbreak that has killed three people and led to one pregnancy loss is linked to newly recalled heat-and-eat chicken fettuccine Alfredo products sold at Kroger and Walmart stores, federal health officials said late on Tuesday.
The outbreak, which includes at least 17 people in 13 states, began last July, officials said. At least 16 people have been hospitalized.
FreshRealm, a large food producer with sites in California, Georgia and Indiana, is recalling products made before 17 June. The recall includes these products, which were sold in the refrigerated sections of retail stores:
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12.3oz trays of Marketside Grilled Chicken Alfredo with Fettuccine Tender Pasta with Creamy Alfredo Sauce, White Meat Chicken, Broccoli and Shaved Parmesan Cheese with best-by dates of 26 June or earlier.
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12.5oz trays of Home Chef Heat & Eat Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo with Pasta, Grilled White Meat Chicken and Parmesan Cheese, with best-by dates of 19 June or earlier.
The strain of listeria bacteria that made people sick was found in a sample of chicken fettuccine Alfredo during a routine inspection in March, US agriculture department officials said. That product was destroyed and never sent to stores.
Officials said they have not identified the specific source of the contamination. Cases have been identified through retail shopper records and interviews with sick people.
The listeria strain tied to the outbreak has been detected in people who fell ill between 24 July and 10 May, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported. The deaths were in Illinois, Michigan and Texas. Cases have been reported in Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Louisiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, North Carolina, Nevada, Ohio, South Carolina, Texas and Virginia.
The number of sick people is probably higher than now known and cases may be detected in additional states. Officials are continuing to receive reports of illnesses linked to the product and “are concerned that contamination is still occurring”, the CDC said.
Consumers should not eat the products, which may be in their refrigerators or freezers. They should be thrown away or returned to the place of purchase.
Listeria infections can cause serious illness, particularly in older adults, people with weakened immune systems and those who are pregnant or their newborns. Symptoms include fever, muscle aches, headache, stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance and convulsions.
About 1,600 people get sick each year from listeria infections and about 260 die, the CDC said. Federal officials in December said they were revamping protocols to prevent listeria infections after several high-profile outbreaks, including one linked to Boar’s Head deli meats that led to 10 deaths and more than 60 illnesses last year.