6 dead in listeria outbreak linked to pasta

"Six people became ill and died after eating prepared pasta meals that were contaminated with listeria and sold at major grocery chains across the country, federal health officials said. The meals, sold at Albertsons, Kroger, Sprouts Farmers Market, Trader Joe's and other major stores, were recalled in recent months in connection with the outbreak, which the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said grew last week. Federal health officials said the supplier, Nate's Fine Foods Inc., had found Listeria monocytogenes, a bacterium that can cause illness and death, in a sample of its pasta."

"The outbreak sickened 27 people in 18 states. The meals, which included fettuccine, linguine, farfalle and other types of pasta, were sold at major retailers nationwide and were recalled between June and October. Of the 27 people who became ill, 25 were hospitalized, health officials said. Many of them reported eating precooked meals. In one case, a pregnant woman lost her fetus after becoming ill, health officials said."

"When it comes to listeria outbreaks, this one's fairly significant and large," said Benjamin Chapman, a food safety specialist who is the head of the agricultural and human sciences department at North Carolina State University. The number of deaths linked to the outbreak is "tragic," he added."

An outbreak of Listeria monocytogenes linked to prepackaged pasta meals sickened 27 people across 18 states and resulted in six deaths. The affected meals included fettuccine, linguine, farfalle and other types sold at major retailers such as Albertsons, Kroger, Sprouts Farmers Market and Trader Joe's and were recalled between June and October. Twenty-five of the 27 sickened individuals were hospitalized; one pregnant woman lost her fetus. Federal officials reported Nate's Fine Foods Inc. found Listeria monocytogenes in a sample of its pasta and investigators are working to determine the source. Food safety experts described the outbreak as significant and the deaths as tragic.

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