The recall is applicable to “Basil Pesto Bowtie Salad” and “Smoked Mozzarella Penne Salad” that were sold in Kroger outlets across 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.
The items were “sold from the deli full and self-service cases at 1,860 Kroger Family of Stores locations under the following banners: Kroger, Baker’s, City Market, Dillons, Fred Meyer, Fry’s, Gerbes, King Soopers, Payless, Ralphs and Smith’s,” said the announcement.
The recalled products were sold between Aug. 29 and Oct. 2 and have UPC codes 217573-10000, 217573-20000, 227573-10000, and 227573-10000.
According to the company, there have been no reports of injury or illness among those who have consumed the products so far. Kroger encouraged those concerned about illness to contact a health care provider.
“Listeria monocytogenes is an organism which can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems,” said the announcement.
“Although healthy individuals may suffer only short-term symptoms such as high fever, severe headache, stiffness, nausea, abdominal pain and diarrhea, Listeria infection can cause miscarriages and stillbirths among pregnant women.”
According to Kroger, the company was notified about the listeria contamination risk on Sept. 26 by its salad kit supplier.
Kroger said the recalled items have been removed from store shelves, and it’s notifying customers who have already purchased them. The company recommended that those who have already bought the items not consume them, and instead return them to stores for a replacement or full refund.
The Epoch Times reached out to Kroger for comment but did not receive a response by publication time.
Multiple food recalls due to listeria have been issued over the past weeks.
The contamination was discovered when the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets and the FDA sampled some of the products and identified the presence of listeria.
“CDC estimates that listeriosis is the third leading cause of death from foodborne illness with about 172 deaths per year,” the agency said.
“Nearly everyone with listeriosis is hospitalized. The case-fatality rate is about 20 percent. Nearly 25 percent of pregnancy-associated cases result in fetal loss or death of the newborn.”
People who have invasive listeriosis are treated with antibiotics, the CDC said. As for intestinal illnesses, most people recover without antibiotics.
“Antibiotics are needed only for patients who are very ill or at risk of becoming very ill,” the agency said.
Products linked to the outbreak are Trader Joe’s Cajun-style blackened chicken breast fettuccine alfredo, Albertsons pasta salads, and Marketside beef meatball marinara linguine meals, the CDC said.
“Clean your refrigerator, containers, and surfaces that may have touched the affected foods. Listeria can survive in the refrigerator and can easily spread to other foods and surfaces,” the agency advised.
“Nearly 1,400 people became ill from food they ate in 2024 that was later recalled—98 percent of them from just 13 outbreaks,” the group stated in its report.
“All but one of the 13 outbreaks involved Listeria, Salmonella, or E. coli.”
