Additional Coverage:
- USDA issues health warning for Walmart heat-and-eat pasta meals over link to deadly listeria outbreak (foxbusiness.com)
Public Health Alert Issued for Marketside Linguine and Meatballs Sold at Walmart Due to Listeria Risk
[City, State] – Local consumers who purchased “Marketside linguine with beef meatballs and marinara sauce” from Walmart are advised to check their freezers immediately. The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) has issued a public health alert for the precooked meal due to potential Listeria monocytogenes contamination.
The affected product is a 2-ounce clear plastic tray package with the label “Marketside linguine with beef meatballs and marinara sauce.” Consumers should look for “best if used by” dates of September 22, 2025; September 24, 2025; September 25, 2025; September 29, 2025; September 30, 2025; and October 1, 2025.
If you have this product in your possession, it should not be consumed. Consumers are urged to either throw it away or return it to the point of purchase for a refund.
This alert follows a company test that confirmed the presence of Listeria in the linguine, linking it to an ongoing Listeria outbreak investigation previously associated with chicken fettuccine Alfredo meals. A recall notice for the chicken fettuccine packages was issued in June.
Listeria monocytogenes can cause listeriosis, a serious infection with symptoms including fever, chills, muscle aches, fatigue, nausea, and diarrhea. While anyone can contract listeriosis, it poses a significant risk to older adults, individuals with weakened immune systems, pregnant women, and newborns.
For pregnant women, listeriosis can lead to miscarriages, stillbirths, premature delivery, or life-threatening infections in newborns. Older adults and those with compromised immune systems can also develop severe, life-threatening infections.
Listeriosis is typically treated with antibiotics. Anyone experiencing flu-like symptoms within two months of potentially consuming the affected product should consult a healthcare provider immediately.