A serious public health threat has emerged in America as a listeria outbreak associated with pre-packaged convenience foods has hospitalized more than ten people.
At least 10 people have been hospitalized in California and Nevada after eating contaminated ready-to-eat products produced by San Fernando-based Fresh & Ready Foods.
Products were distributed across four western states – Arizona, California, Nevada, and Washington – between April 18 and April 28, 2025, with “use by” dates ranging from April 22 to May 19, 2025.
Most concerning for American families, these potentially dangerous food items were sold under multiple brand names, including Fresh & Ready Foods, City Point Market Fresh Food to Go, and Fresh Take Crave Away.
The contaminated products were widely distributed to hospitals, hotels, convenience stores, airports, and even served on airlines, creating a vast web of potential exposure.
At least ten people in Nevada and California have been hospitalized due to a Listeria outbreak linked to prepackaged food products.
Fresh & Ready Foods has voluntarily recalled dozens ready-to-eat sandwiches and snack items after a positive test for Listeria was found on their… pic.twitter.com/xSqGecLl74
— Real Vegas Locals (@RealVegasLocaIs) May 12, 2025
The CDC and FDA are investigating the outbreak, but questions remain about why it took so long to identify the source.
According to FDA officials, “there was not enough evidence in the previous investigation to identify a source for the outbreak,” suggesting government regulators failed to connect the dots despite an investigation that began last year.
Most alarming for vulnerable Americans, six of the ten affected individuals were already hospitalized before contracting listeria.
The contaminated foods were served in at least three healthcare facilities where these patients were being treated – meaning patients seeking medical care were exposed to a dangerous bacteria while under government-regulated hospital care.
Moreover, listeria poses a particularly severe risk to pregnant women, newborns, adults over 65, and those with weakened immune systems.
Symptoms range from mild (fever, muscle aches, nausea) to severe (headache, stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance, and convulsions).
The FDA’s response has been limited to standard advice: do not eat, sell, or serve the recalled products, and clean any surfaces they touched.
While no deaths have been reported, the outbreak remains ongoing.
Adding to concerns about federal oversight, Listeria monocytogenes was initially detected during a 2024 routine Fresh & Ready Foods factory inspection.
Yet, contaminated products continued reaching American consumers for months afterward.
The FDA and CDC only reopened their investigation in April 2025 after genomic analysis finally linked the Listeria strain to the illnesses.
The breakdown in America’s food safety systems comes amid startling statistics – approximately 48 million cases of foodborne illness occur annually in the United States.
For hard-working American families already struggling with record inflation and grocery prices, worrying about the safety of convenient food options adds yet another burden to daily life.
Despite millions in taxpayer funding, government regulators once again failed to protect Americans when it mattered most.
