Listeria outbreak tied to recalled pasta, new deaths and illnesses

Two additional deaths and seven more illnesses have been reported in a widening outbreak of listeria infections tied to recalled ready-to-eat pasta meals sold at major U.S. grocery chains, federal health officials said Thursday. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported the most recent illnesses occurred in September and October, with the latest confirmed on Oct. 16, and that the newly reported deaths were in Hawaii and Oregon.

At least six people have died and 27 have been sickened across 18 states since the outbreak began in August 2024, the CDC said. Earlier fatalities were reported in Illinois, Michigan, Texas and Utah. Among the illnesses, one infection in a pregnant woman resulted in the loss of a fetus. Health authorities are continuing to collect information to determine the full scope of who ate the implicated products.

Investigators traced the outbreak to precooked pasta produced by Nates Fine Foods of Roseville, California. In September the company recalled about 245,000 pounds, or roughly 111,130 kilograms, of pasta, including linguine, fettuccine, penne and other varieties that were used by companies making heat-and-eat meals and deli pasta...