Walmart Frozen Fettuccine Recall Now Covers All Lots

Walmart's bettergoods Lemon Alfredo Fettuccine recall expanded from two lots to all lots and dates over possible listeria contamination.

According to Yahoo, a Sept. 15 recall of a frozen pasta dish sold under Walmart's bettergoods brand was expanded Thursday from two lots to all lots, all expiration dates. Consumers with a 22-ounce bag of Bettergoods Authentic Italian Lemon Alfredo Fettuccine, UPC No. 194346442706, should return it to the store for a refund or throw it out. WDBJ7 reports the pasta was sold at Walmart stores nationwide in 22-ounce, yellow plastic packages, and urges purchasers to return it for a full refund.

The surprise is the scale of the reversal: what began as a narrow two-lot pull now covers the entire production run, meaning shoppers cannot rely on a date code to judge safety. WDBJ7 notes the initial recall last month covered two lots of the fettuccine because it may be contaminated with listeria, and that the recall now includes all lots of the pasta. No illnesses have been reported so far, according to WDBJ7, which makes the precautionary full expansion notable rather than crisis-driven.

Yahoo reports that New York City's Gias Foods, which made the fettuccine for Walmart, did not give a reason in its most recent recall notice beyond repeating that the original recall followed routine sampling by two state agencies — Florida's Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services and the Washington State Department of Agriculture — showing finished products might have listeria. Per WDBJ7, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration is the agency flagging the expanded action.

Yahoo cites Centers for Disease Control and Prevention figures putting the annual U.S. listeria sickness count at around 1,250 with about 172 deaths. Symptoms typically include high fever, headache, stiffness and a flu-like feeling, and Yahoo notes pregnant women can suffer stillbirths and miscarriages from the high fevers. WDBJ7 adds that listeria can cause serious and sometimes fatal illness in children, older adults and pregnant people. Questions can be directed to Gias Foods at sales@giasfoods.com.