WASHINGTON — Federal food safety officials are warning consumers to throw away or return certain Walmart pasta meals that may be contaminated with listeria bacteria.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service issued a public health alert Thursday for Marketside Linguine with Beef Meatballs & Marinara Sauce sold in 12-ounce clear plastic trays. The affected products have “best if used by” dates ranging from Sept. 22 through Oct. 1, 2025.

The meals were distributed to Walmart stores nationwide and are labeled with establishment numbers “EST. 50784” or “EST. 47718” inside the USDA inspection mark.

Officials discovered the contamination during an ongoing investigation into a listeria outbreak linked to chicken fettuccine alfredo meals. Tests confirmed the pre-cooked pasta used in the linguine dishes tested positive for Listeria monocytogenes. Officials are still determining whether it matches the specific outbreak strain.

Customers who bought these products should not eat them and should either throw them away or return them to their store. Items have been pulled from store shelves but the ready-to-eat meals may still be in home refrigerators or freezers.

Listeria infections can be especially dangerous for pregnant women, adults over 65 and people with weakened immune systems. The bacteria can cause listeriosis, a serious infection that may lead to fever, muscle aches, headaches, stiff neck, confusion and loss of balance.

For pregnant women, listeria can cause miscarriages, stillbirths or life-threatening infections in newborns. While less common, healthy adults outside high-risk groups can also become ill.

People in high-risk categories who develop flu-like symptoms within two months of eating contaminated food should seek medical attention and inform their healthcare provider about the potential exposure.

Customers with questions about the alert can contact Nate’s Fine Foods at 916-677-7303 between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. PST, Monday through Friday.