Walmart Frozen Fettuccine Recalled Over Listeria Risk

Routine laboratory sampling by the Washington State Department of Agriculture and the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services has led to a nationwide recall of Bettergoods Authentic Italian Lemon Alfredo Fettuccine. The frozen pasta, sold exclusively at Walmart stores, may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes.

Both state agencies routinely collect commercial food products from retail shelves for microbial testing, seeking to detect foodborne pathogens before widespread outbreaks occur. The recalled fettuccine was imported and distributed by New York-based Gias Foods Inc., which has suspended distribution of the affected lot numbers while working with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to identify where contamination occurred in the production or packaging pipeline.

No illnesses have been reported in connection with the product. The packages are sold nationwide in 22-ounce yellow plastic packaging under Walmart’s private-label line and carry the Universal Product Code (UPC) 194346442706.

Consumers should check the back of the package for lot number L6079C, with an expiration date of Sept. 19, 2027, or lot number L6080C, with an expiration date of Sept. 20, 2027. Because the affected packages can remain in freezers for extended periods, public health officials have emphasized the containment challenges associated with frozen food recalls. The expiration dates reach into September 2027, raising concerns that contaminated products could remain stored in consumer freezers for years if they are not identified and discarded.

Listeria monocytogenes can survive extreme cold temperatures, including commercial freezing. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, listeriosis infects approximately 1,600 people in the United States each year and causes roughly 260 deaths, ranking among the leading causes of death from foodborne illness nationwide.

The pathogen presents the greatest danger to pregnant women, newborns, adults aged 65 and older, and people with weakened immune systems. In pregnant women, severe listeriosis can cause miscarriages, stillbirths, premature delivery, or life-threatening systemic infections in newborns. Healthy individuals who are exposed may develop short-term symptoms such as high fever, severe headache, stiffness, nausea, abdominal pain, and diarrhea.

The fettuccine is part of Walmart’s Bettergoods brand, launched in April 2024 as the retailer’s largest private-label food initiative in two decades. Bettergoods was developed around chef-inspired, plant-based, and imported specialty items intended to compete with high-end grocery chains at lower price points. Major retailers use specialty importers and distributors such as Gias Foods Inc. to supply imported products across their national store footprints.

Gias Foods and Walmart representatives did not immediately return requests for comment. The FDA noted that publishing company recall notices is a public warning service and does not constitute an official endorsement of the products involved.

Consumers who find the recalled fettuccine in their freezers should not eat it. They are instructed to return the packaging to any Walmart location for a full refund. Questions about the recall can be sent to Gias Foods Inc. at sales@giasfoods.com or directed to 917-675-4890, with email responses guaranteed within 24 hours.