Listeria Concern Behind Recall By Washington/Oregon Supermarkets

If you purchased particular pasta salads at the deli counter of a Fred Meyer or QFC in Washington State or Oregon you should immediately take it back for a full refund due to a major recall affecting every Kroger owned store in the United States.

It started at the end of September when Kroger owned stores in just a few states pulled a couple pasta salads from their employee service and prepackaged deli counters.  Most (if not all) of the salads you buy at those counters at the local supermarket are made by a third party and supplied to the stores.

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Sometimes that supplier works with another supplier who they buy individual ingredients from to create that finished product.  This recall follows that exact line as it's the third party down the line where the problem prompting the recall is believed to have originated.

Kroger, which owns Fred Meyer and QFC stores in Washington State & Oregon, was notified September 26th by Fresh Creative Foods that their pasta supplier was recalling bowtie pasta used in their salad kits due to a fear of Listeria (Listeria monocytogenes) contamination.  That recall was about to grow less than a week later.

On October 1st, Nate’s Fine Foods, the supplier of Fresh Creative Foods (who in turn supplies Kroger) expanded the recall of their pasta products to penne as well as bowtie.  That prompted Kroger to take their recall nationwide.  If you purchased the Basil Pesto Bowtie Salad and/or Smoked Mozzarella Penne Salad at Fred Meyer or QFC check your packaging.

If you bought Basil Pesto Bowtie Salad you're looking for sold on dates between September 6th through October 2nd.  If you bought Smoked Mozzarella Penne Salad you're checked for sold on dates from August 29th through October 2nd.  If you find one of those in your fridge, take it back for a full refund.

This recall has also impacted other grocers like Albertson's and Trader Joe's.  According to the FDA, 20 illnesses have been reported with 19 people hospitalized and 4 deaths attributed to listeria.  As of this writing no cases have been reported in Washington or Oregon, though the recall has been expanded a few times since first issued.