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By Toby Meyjes
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The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) has issued a public health alert for two HelloFresh ready-to-eat meals because of possible listeria contamination.
The FSIS warned consumers who bought the products, which were produced by FreshRealm, to throw them away or return them to a place of purchase.
HelloFresh confirmed to Newsweek that a recall had been issued for the affected meals and said it had been in contact with customers who may have purchased them.
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Why It Matters
Listeria is a foodborne pathogen particularly dangerous to older adults, individuals with weakened immune systems, and pregnant women.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), approximately 1,250 people in the United States get listeriosis each year, and about 172 die from the infection.
Symptoms can be severe and include fever, muscle aches, headache, stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance, and convulsions, sometimes following gastrointestinal symptoms.
Pregnant women face elevated risks, as listeriosis can cause miscarriages, stillbirths, and serious infections in newborns.
What To Know
On October 6, FSIS issued a public health alert for specific HelloFresh ready-to-eat meals produced by FreshRealm. The meals, which were shipped directly to customers, were:
- HelloFresh Ready Made Meals Cheesy Pulled Port Pepper Pasts - 10.1-oz. containers - Establishment numbers: 47718, 2937 - Lot codes: 49107, 48840.
- HelloFresh Ready Made Meals Unstuffed Peppers With Ground Turkey - Establishment number: P-47718 - Lot codes: 50069, 50073, 50698.
The contamination was detected after FreshRealm reported that spinach used in these meals tested positive for Listeria monocytogenes.
As of October 6, no illnesses had been reported in connection with the consumption of the recalled meals.
What People Are Saying
HelloFresh said in a statement to Newsweek: "At HelloFresh, the safety of our customers and the quality of our meals is our highest priority. Due to the potential presence of Listeria monocytogenes in spinach used by our third-party supplier of ready-to-eat meals, FreshRealm, a recall has been issued on two HelloFresh Ready Made Meals.
"We have directly contacted customers who may have received the Cheesy Pulled Pork Pepper Pasta or Unstuffed Peppers with Ground Turkey between September 6 and October 9, 2025, and advised them to immediately discard any affected product. We take this matter very seriously. Customers with any questions or concerns are encouraged to contact our Customer Care Team."
FreshRealm said in a statement to Newsweek: "FreshRealm’s food safety program detected Listeria in individually quick-frozen (IQF) spinach that it uses in prepared meals, supplied by Sno Pac Foods of Minnesota. FreshRealm proactively undertook whole genome sequencing of spinach ingredient samples and the Listeria strain does not match the outbreak first reported in June 2025 or any other outbreak. Neither FreshRealm nor its customers are aware of any foodborne illness associated with this spinach ingredient.
"The findings were promptly managed under FreshRealm’s food safety and recall procedures. The corresponding customer and public health agencies were notified along with the ingredient supplier. FreshRealm will continue to collaborate with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA’s) Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS). Sno Pac Foods and their spinach supplier, Del Mar Foods, will be conducting recalls of their spinach products, and FreshRealm will follow their lead.
"Nothing is more important than the health and safety of our customers and our food safety program is design to safeguard the quality of the meals we produce."
What Happens Next
The FSIS is concerned that potentially contaminated meals may still be in consumers' refrigerators or freezers.
Consumers with food safety questions can call the toll-free USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline at 888-MPHotline (888-674-6854) or send a question via email to MPHotline@usda.gov.
Update 10/08/25, 6:30 a.m. ET: This story was updated to include a statement from FreshRealm
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