• Walmart meatball meals potentially contaminated with listeria are under health alert.
• Links drawn to a previous deadly outbreak involving fettuccine Alfredo meals.
• Four deaths and numerous illnesses reported in connection to the outbreak.
• Consumers urged to discard affected meals without waiting for a recall.
• FreshRealm confirms presence of listeria in ingredient tests.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has issued a public health alert regarding certain beef meatball pasta meals sold at Walmart, warning consumers against consuming products potentially contaminated with listeria bacteria. Specifically, the alert concerns the Marketside Linguine with Beef Meatballs & Marinara Sauce, which bears establishment numbers “EST. 50784” and “EST. 47718” and has best-by dates from September 22 to October 1, 2025, according to latimes.

No official recall has been announced yet; however, FreshRealm, the product's distributor, is collaborating with Walmart to address the situation. The meals are feared to be contaminated with the same strain of listeria associated with a deadly outbreak linked to chicken fettuccine Alfredo meals, which has resulted in four deaths and 20 illnesses thus far, according to cbsnews and indiatimes.

The affected meals were distributed nationwide and were found to contain listeria as a result of testing, with links to a previous outbreak causing severe health consequences. Consumer tests indicated that the listeria detected matched a strain previously identified during related investigations, according to sfgate and latimes.

The CDC outlines that listeria infection can be particularly dangerous for vulnerable populations, including older adults, pregnant women, and individuals with weakened immune systems. Symptoms, which may occur within two weeks of exposure, include fever, fatigue, and muscle aches, echoing similar health warnings raised during previous listeria outbreaks, as mentioned in cbsnews and indiatimes.

Consumers who possess these meals are strongly urged to discard them or return them to Walmart for a full refund as a safety precaution, emphasizing the importance of consumer awareness and action in preventing possible health risks, as reported by multiple sources including sfgate and cbsnews.