Publix and Walmart sell the newest recalled food in the deadly listeria outbreak

New product recalls have been issued in connection with a deadly listeria outbreak, which has sickened 20 people and caused four deaths across 15 states. Nate’s Fine Foods recalled specific lots of Scott & Jon’s Shrimp Scampi with Linguini, impacting major retailers like Publix and Walmart across numerous states. Separately, Kroger recalled certain Basil Pesto Bowtie Salads and Smoked Mozzarella Penne Salads sold through its own and affiliated chains. These developments underscore ongoing food safety risks and potential financial and reputational impacts on the involved food manufacturers and retailers.

Analysis

Publix and Walmart sell the newest recalled food in the deadly listeria outbreak Two more products have been recalled in relation to the listeria outbreak with four deaths traced to prepared pasta meals, one recall that involves Publix, Walmart and likely other chains as well as independent stores. The other recall involves Kroger and Kroger-owned chains. Those recalls were the major change in Friday’s FDA update on the outbreak, credited with sickening 20 people and killing four, one of which was a fetus, over 15 states. READ MORE: Listeria outbreak and pasta dishes sold under Walmart, Kroger, Trader Joe’s brands Scott & Jon’s shrimp and pasta recall Nate’s Fine Foods of Roseville, California, a suburb of Sacramento, pulled five lots of Scott & Jon’s Shrimp Scampi with Linguini: S254522, best by 3/12/2027; S255522, best by 3/13/2027; S259522, best by 3/17/2027; S263521 and S263522, best by 3/21/2027. While several supermarket chains and independent stores sell Scott & Jon’s pasta and seafood dishes, as of Sunday morning, Publix and Walmart were the major chains that announced on their websites they were hit by this recall. Walmart listed stores in the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and these 42 states as being involved: Florida, California, North Carolina, South Carolina, Missouri, Texas, Kentucky, Georgia, Mississippi, Pennsylvania, Illinois, Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Iowa, Idaho, Indiana, Kansas, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, New Jersey, New York, Nevada, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Tennessee, Utah, Virgina, Vermont, Wisconsin, West Virginia and Wyoming. Return the boxes of shrimp scampi to the store for a full refund or throw it deep in the garbage. If you have any questions, call Demers Food Group, 800-239-9731, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Eastern time. Kroger Pasta Recalls Kroger recalled Basil Pesto Bowtie Salads and Smoked Mozzarella Penne Salads sold from Aug. 29 through Thursday at kroger and owned chains Ralphs, Dillons, Fred Meyer, Baker’s, City Market, Fry’s, King Soopers, Gerbes, Payless, and Smith’s. This covers stores in California, Washington, South Carolina, Missouri, Texas, Kentucky, Alaska, Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, Colorado, Georgie, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, Nevada, Ohio, Oregon, Tennessee, Utah and West Virginia. If the salads are in your freezer or refrigerator, throw them out or return them to the store for a full refund. If you have questions, call Kroger at 800-KROGERS, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to midnight, Eastern time, Saturday and Sunday, 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. Two major publicly traded retailers, Walmart (WMT) and Kroger (KR), are directly implicated in expanded food recalls linked to a deadly listeria outbreak that has caused 20 illnesses and four deaths. The development carries a strongly negative sentiment score of -0.75, with specific per-ticker sentiment for both WMT and KR at -0.8, underscoring the significant reputational risk. Walmart is recalling 'Scott & Jon’s Shrimp Scampi' from a third-party supplier, Nate’s Fine Foods, across a vast network of 42 states, Puerto Rico, and the District of Columbia. Separately, Kroger has recalled its own branded 'Basil Pesto Bowtie Salads' and 'Smoked Mozzarella Penne Salads' across 28 states and multiple subsidiary chains. This highlights distinct operational risks: WMT faces a third-party supplier vetting issue, while KR's recall points to a potential internal quality control failure. The moderate market impact score of 0.55 suggests the direct financial cost is not expected to be severe, but the event places both companies under the lens of regulatory compliance and consumer safety, threatening trust in their high-margin prepared foods categories.

Key Decisions for Investors

• Investors should monitor for any erosion in consumer confidence or changes in purchasing behavior within the prepared foods segments of Walmart and Kroger, as this represents the primary risk beyond the direct costs of the recall.
• It is crucial to differentiate the source of operational risk; evaluate Kroger for potential internal quality control deficiencies, and scrutinize Walmart’s third-party supplier management and diligence processes.
• While the immediate financial impact is likely immaterial given the scale of both retailers, the frequency of such safety incidents should be tracked as a key indicator of systemic operational risk and potential for future litigation or heightened regulatory oversight.