U.S. Issues Listeria Warning for Select Hello Fresh Meals

Late on Monday, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) issued a public health alert regarding certain Hello Fresh subscription meals that may contain spinach contaminated with listeria. This warning follows an expanding listeria outbreak linked to heat-and-eat pasta meals produced by FreshRealm, a company based in San Clemente, California.

The affected products include 10.1-ounce containers of Hello Fresh Ready Made Meals Cheesy Pulled Pork Pepper Pasta and 10-ounce containers of Hello Fresh Ready Made Meals Unstuffed Peppers with Ground Turkey. Both meals were shipped directly to consumers and are identified by specific establishment numbers and lot codes. The pork pepper pasta can be traced back to establishment number Est. 47718 with lot code 49107 or Est. 2937 and lot code 48840. The unstuffed peppers with ground turkey are marked with Est. P-47718 and lot codes 50069, 50073, or 50698.

The contamination was discovered when FreshRealm notified the USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service that the quick-frozen spinach used in these meals tested positive for listeria. The spinach was sourced from Sno Pac Foods, based in Caledonia, Minnesota, through their supplier, Del Mar Foods of Watsonville, California.

Although FreshRealm officials stated that the strain of listeria identified does not match any known outbreak and that no related illnesses have been reported, the situation remains concerning. The company previously faced scrutiny after tests revealed that pasta used in linguine dishes sold at Walmart contained the same strain of listeria that was linked to an earlier outbreak in June. This outbreak, connected to chicken fettuccine Alfredo, resulted in at least four deaths and affected 20 individuals, with the most recent case reported on September 11, 2023.

Genetic testing confirmed that the outbreak strain was found in samples of pasta produced by Nate’s Fine Foods, located in Roseville, California. Following this discovery, several companies, including Kroger, Giant Eagle, and Albertson’s, have recalled pasta salads and other dishes made with products from Nate’s Fine Foods due to potential listeria contamination.

Listeria infections pose significant health risks, particularly for older adults, individuals with weakened immune systems, and pregnant women along with their newborns. Symptoms of listeria infection can include fever, muscle aches, headache, stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance, and convulsions. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), approximately 1,600 people fall ill from listeria infections in the United States each year, with about 260 fatalities.

In response to multiple high-profile outbreaks, federal officials announced in December that they would be revising their protocols to better prevent listeria infections. One such outbreak connected to Boar’s Head deli meats resulted in 10 deaths and over 60 illnesses last year.

As authorities continue to investigate the situation, consumers are urged to check their Hello Fresh meals and refrain from consuming any that match the affected product codes.