Prepared Meals Sold at Kroger, Other Retailers Recalled for Listeria Contamination

You would think ready-to-eat pasta is a safe bet when it comes to avoiding foodborne illness. However, a recent string of recalls proves that no food is completely safe from harmful bacteria. Starting with this fettuccine Alfredo recall in June 2025, we've seen a total of four recalls all connected to the same deadly listeria outbreak.

The most recent recall was announced on October 4, 2025, when Kroger recalled two different ready-to-eat pasta salads: Basil Pesto Bowtie Salad and Smoked Mozzarella Penne Salad.

How To Identify Recalled Pasta Salad 

This pasta was sold in the deli at 1,860 Kroger store locations under the following brands: Kroger, Baker’s, City Market, Dillons, Fred Meyer, Fry’s, Gerbes, King Soopers, Payless, Ralphs, and Smith’s.

This most recent recall affects consumers in 28 states: Alaska, Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, California, Colorado, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Missouri, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, Nevada, Ohio, Oregon, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Washington, and West Virginia.

Learn how to identify a potentially recalled item in your kitchen.

Basil Pesto Bowtie Pasta Salad

• Sold between September 6 to October 2, 2025
• Sold at the deli counter and in grab-and-go packages
• UPCs: 217573-10000 and 217573-20000

Smoked Mozzarella Penne Salad

• Sold between August 29 to October 2, 2025
• Sold at the deli counter and in grab-and-go packages
• UPC: 227573-10000
  

If you purchased one of the above pastas at your Kroger store and still have it at home, toss it immediately. If you believe you may have eaten contaminated pasta, monitor for symptoms; it can take up to two weeks for symptoms to appear.

What You Need to Know About This Listeria Outbreak

Right now, the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA), U.S. Department of Agriculture Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS), and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) are investigating illnesses in a multistate outbreak of listeria infections linked to pasta. This outbreak is dangerous—as of September 25, 2025, a total of 20 people infected with this outbreak's strain of listeria have been reported from 15 different states. Of those 20, 19 have been hospitalized, and four deaths have been reported.

Eating food contaminated with listeria bacteria can put you at risk for a serious infection known as listeriosis. For healthy people, symptoms are often milder, but can include fever, headache, stiffness, nausea, abdominal pain, and diarrhea. However, this infection can be fatal in young children, older adults, and people with weakened immune systems.

There’s a long list of recalls announced by different stores, including the Kroger recall above. You can find them all linked on the FDA's outbreak investigation page.