Kroger has announced a voluntary recall of two deli pasta salads—Basil Pesto Bowtie Salad and Smoked Mozzarella Penne Salad—due to concerns about possible Listeria monocytogenes contamination. The products were sold in Kroger Family of Stores across multiple states, including Alaska, California, Texas, and Ohio.
The recall follows an alert from Fresh Creative Foods, the supplier of the salad kits, which informed Kroger that Nate’s Fine Foods had recalled the pasta ingredient after discovering potential contamination. "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. 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," the company stated. No illnesses or injuries have been reported so far.
The affected salads were available at 1,860 locations under banners such as Kroger, Baker’s, City Market, Dillons, Fred Meyer, Fry’s, Gerbes, King Soopers, Payless, Ralphs and Smith’s. Kroger has removed these items from shelves and is notifying customers through register receipt messages and email alerts.
Customers are advised not to consume the recalled salads and to return them for a refund or replacement. Those with questions can contact Kroger customer service at 1-800-KROGERS during business hours.
An advisory from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration provides additional details on this outbreak: FDA Outbreak Advisory.
Kroger said it was first notified by Fresh Creative Foods on September 26 regarding contaminated bowtie pasta affecting 24 Smith’s stores in Arizona, New Mexico and Nevada. On October 1 they received another notice that more dates of bowtie pasta as well as penne pasta items were being recalled due to similar concerns.
Kroger operates more than 400,000 associates serving over 11 million customers daily through various retail banners nationwide.
