Kettle Cuisine LLC is recalling its Marketside Tomato Bisque Soup Kit sold exclusively at Walmart stores nationwide due to potential Listeria monocytogenes contamination, the Food and Drug Administration announced Aug. 12. The product was sold under Walmart’s Marketside private label brand, giving the recall a broad consumer footprint across the retailer’s approximately 4,700 U.S. stores, the FDA said.
Consumers who purchased the product are advised not to consume it and to return it to the store for a refund.
Listeria monocytogenes can cause listeriosis, a serious infection that is particularly dangerous for pregnant women, newborns, older adults, and people with weakened immune systems. The infection can cause miscarriage, stillbirth, and severe illness or death in vulnerable individuals.
For the general public, Listeria infections present lower risk in healthy adults, who may experience short-term symptoms including fever, muscle aches, and gastrointestinal distress. However, the broad national distribution of the product through Walmart’s extensive store network increases the potential number of consumers exposed.
The FDA said the recall was initiated after routine testing detected the potential presence of the pathogen. No illnesses linked to the product have been reported in the available recall notice.
Listeria monocytogenes is distinct from many other foodborne pathogens because it can grow at refrigerator temperatures, meaning that even properly stored products can harbor the bacteria if they were contaminated during manufacturing.
Consumers with questions about the recalled product can contact Kettle Cuisine’s consumer affairs department. The FDA maintains a searchable database of recalls on its website where consumers can verify whether products in their possession are affected.
The recall comes during a week of elevated food safety activity, including a separate multi-retailer recall of jalapeño-containing products due to Salmonella contamination.