Dozens of ready-to-eat sandwiches and snacks have been recalled amid a listeria outbreak that has left at least 10 people hospitalized in the US.
Fresh & Ready Foods LLC has recalled 86 of its prepared food items including sandwiches, pastas and snacks, after an investigation into the outbreak linked back to its facilities.
Two federal health agencies, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), started investigating the outbreak last year, but were unable at the time to find the source.
In April of this year, the FDA reopened the investigation and found traces of listeria while doing a routine inspection of products from Fresh & Ready Foods, according to an update by the agency on Saturday.
‘Whole genome sequencing (WGS) analysis confirmed that the strain of Listeria found at Fresh & Ready Foods, LLC matches the strain of Listeria causing illnesses in this outbreak,’ stated an FDA advisory.
As of Saturday, 10 people were infected with the listeria monocytogenes strain in California and Nevada, and all of them were hospitalized.
The voluntarily recall initiated by the company based in San Fernando, California, includes sandwiches of a variety of meats and breads, bistro boxes, pasta salads, protein snacks and sweet snacks.
Some specific items are the 7.5-ounce Turkey & Cheese Mega Sandwich, the 4-ounce Breakfast Bistro Box, the 9-ounce Garlic Pesto Pasta, and the 3-ounce Almonds & Chocolate Snack.
Besides Fresh & Ready Foods, affected items were sold under the brand names City Point Market Fresh Food to Go and Fresh Take Crave Away.
They were distributed from April 18 to April 28, 2025, at hospitals, convenience stores, hotels, airports and by airlines, in Arizona, California, Nevada and Washington.
Listeria symptoms usually begin within two weeks of consuming contaminated food, but can occur the same day and 10 weeks after, according to the FDA.
Mild symptoms include nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, muscle aches, fever and tiredness. Symptoms in more serious listeria cases include convulsions, confusion, balance loss, stiff neck and headache.
Among those most prone to listeria and becoming seriously ill from it are pregnant women, newborns and people aged 65 or older.
It comes a day after Utah-based New Grains Gluten Free Bakery recalled more than a dozen of its savory and sweet breads and baked goods because of three undeclared allergens that could cause ‘life-threatening’ allergic reactions.
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