At least 10 people have been hospitalized after eating ready-to-eat meals contaminated with listeria, according to the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
Health officials have identified the source of a recent outbreak as food items produced by Fresh & Ready Foods LLC, located in San Fernando, California.
According to USA Today, the affected meals were sold under the brands Fresh & Ready Foods, City Point Market Fresh Food to Go, and Fresh Take Crave Away.
The recalled products all have "use by" dates ranging from April 22 to May 19, 2025.
These products were shipped to Arizona, California, Nevada, and Washington between April 18 and April 28. They were sold in a variety of locations, including hospitals, hotels, airports, airlines, convenience stores, and retail shops.
In April 2025, the FDA and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reopened an investigation after routine inspections detected listeria in environmental samples at Fresh & Ready Foods.
That evidence matched samples from patients, linking the outbreak directly to the company's products.
FDA & @CDCgov, with state & local partners, are investigating illnesses in a multi-year, multistate outbreak of #Listeriamonocytogenes linked to Ready-to-Eat foods such as sandwiches and snack items produced by Fresh & Ready Foods LLC of San Fernando, CA. https://t.co/MlAfS8zR5o pic.twitter.com/5cDNzZFrz6
— U.S. FDA Human Foods Program (@FDAfood) May 12, 2025
FDA Investigates Listeria in Ready Meals After Multiple Hospitalizations
"Six of the ten people were hospitalized before becoming sick with listeria, and several of the contaminated products were served in at least three of the facilities where these patients had stayed," said the FDA.
The CDC said the illness cases date back to December 2023, with the most recent in September 2024. Eight people who became sick were in California, while two were in Nevada.
Listeria infection can lead to serious illness, particularly in older adults, pregnant women, newborns, and also people with weakened immune systems.
Symptoms may appear within two weeks after eating contaminated food and can range from fever and diarrhea to more severe problems like confusion and convulsions.
The FDA urges anyone who bought these products not to eat them. Businesses and consumers should also clean any surfaces that came into contact with the meals.
Fresh & Ready Foods stated that it took "immediate corrective actions" to address the issue, including removing equipment to help prevent any further contamination at their facility, AP News said.
"If you think you may have eaten one of the recalled products and are feeling sick, talk to your doctor right away," the FDA advised.
Consumers can visit the FDA's website for the full list of recalled items and more safety information.
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