A Listeria alert has been issued for Hello Fresh meals

US health officials have issued an alert about the possible presence of Listeria bacteria in Hello Fresh ready-to-eat meals. Two products shipped to consumers that contain spinach could be contaminated with Listeria, which can cause serious health problems or even death in people at risk.

The USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) issued the health warning late Monday after FreshRealm, a contractor that produces Hello Fresh meals, regularly tested its spinach for Listeria monocytogenes and came back positive.

Two products to look for include pulled pork pepper pasta with cheese and unstuffed peppers with ground turkey, according to the warning it posted. FSIS website:

• 10.1 oz. “HELLO FRESH READY MADE MEALS CHEESY PULLED PORK PEPPER PASTA” containers with facility number “Est. 47718” and lot code 49107 or facility number “Est. 2937” and lot code 48840.
• 10 oz. “HELLO FRESH READY MADE MEALS UNSTUFFED PEPPERS WITH GROUND TURKEY” containers with establishment number “P-47718” and lot codes 50069, 50073 or 50698.

There have been no confirmed reports of anyone getting sick from Hello Fresh products, but many food illnesses go unreported in the United States. When it comes to Listeria, the biggest concern is for pregnant women, newborns, those over 65, and people with weakened immune systems, according to the CDC, all of whom can have some of the worst outcomes.

FreshRealm has been at the center of several recent food recalls, including a listeria outbreak that sickened at least 20 people and Four killed. This recall involves prepared pasta that was distributed to major retailers like Walmart and Trader Joe’s, among a host of other grocery chains. The pasta recall included one of FreshRealm’s suppliers, Nate’s Fine Foods, although in the case of the new Hello Fresh health alert, FreshRealm is the only company mentioned.

Center for Disease Control Estimates About 1,250 people in the United States become infected with listeria each year, and 172 people die from the infection. Listeria is the third leading cause of foodborne illness in the country. Norovirus is the most common among Americans, with about 5.5 million cases of illness and 22,400 hospitalizations. But salmonella is the most deadly, causing an estimated 238 deaths every year, according to the organization. Center for Disease Control.

Consumers with questions about the impact of the recall on Hello Fresh meals are encouraged to contact the FreshRealm customer service hotline at 1-888-244-1562 or (email protected)according to the Food Safety and Inspection Administration.

FreshRealm did not immediately respond to questions Tuesday afternoon. Gizmodo will update this article when we receive a response.