Quick Summary
Public health officials have reported a Listeria monocytogenes outbreak tied to recalled prepared pasta meals. A total of 27 infections across 18 states have been identified to date. Of 26 cases with available details, 25 were hospitalized and 6 deaths were reported in Hawaii, Illinois, Michigan, Oregon, Texas, and Utah. One pregnancy-associated illness resulted in the loss of a baby. Officials believe the true number of cases is likely higher.
What happened
Investigators from the CDC, FDA, and USDA-FSIS linked illnesses to chicken fettuccine alfredo meals produced by FreshRealm. Ingredient testing later identified contamination in pasta from Nate's Fine Foods. The manufacturer initiated a voluntary recall of more than 245,000 pounds of prepared pasta dishes. State and local teams continue to gather information on what ill people ate before getting sick and urge consumers to return or discard recalled foods.
Listeria can contaminate many ready to eat foods. Symptoms can start the same day or take up to ten weeks to appear. Severe illness is more likely in pregnant people, older adults, and those with weakened immune systems.
Why it matters
Outbreaks like this expose blind spots in our food supply chain. Contamination may persist through complex manufacturing and distribution steps before it is detected. By the time a recall reaches consumers, exposure may have already happened. People also rarely keep detailed records of what they bought and ate, which makes it hard to link symptoms to a specific product or explain exposure history to clinicians.
Who is most at risk
- Pregnant people and newborns
- Adults aged 65 and older
- People with weakened immune systems
In these groups, Listeria can lead to invasive disease, hospitalization, pregnancy complications, and death.
What you can do right now
- Check your fridge and freezer for recalled pasta dishes tied to FreshRealm or Nate's Fine Foods.
- Return or discard recalled items. Do not taste food to check if it is safe.
- Watch for symptoms such as fever, muscle aches, fatigue, headache, stiff neck, confusion, or gastrointestinal issues.
- Contact your clinician if you have symptoms and mention possible Listeria exposure from a recalled product.
- Clean and sanitize surfaces that may have touched recalled foods.
How Aether helps
Aether turns news like this into structured, useful data in your personal health record. You can log potential exposure dates, upload discharge summaries or lab results, and track symptoms over time. If you are pregnant or immunocompromised, keeping these details together helps your care team act faster if symptoms develop.
- Record the exposure event with the product name, brand, store, and the date you ate it.
- Upload hospital or lab documents so your history stays together.
- Use the timeline to relate symptoms with test results and clinical visits.
- Share a read only view with your clinician when needed.
Sources and coverage
- CDC: Listeria outbreaks and guidance
- FDA: Food safety alerts and recalls
- USDA FSIS: Recalls and public health alerts
Always consult your clinician for medical advice that applies to your situation.
Next steps
- Log in to your Aether account and add an exposure entry under Timeline.
- Upload any ER or hospital paperwork, and keep test results together with dates.
- Set a reminder to review symptoms over the next few weeks, since incubation can be delayed.