What to Know About the Latest Food Recall

Hearing about yet another food recall is enough to make you never want to eat again. Unfortunately, here we are again.

Fresh & Ready Foods has recalled several ready-to-eat foods that don’t need extra cooking, including certain sandwiches and snacks, due to potential listeria monocytogenes contamination, according to a recall notice from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

The recalled products all have “use by” date from 4/22/2025 to 05/19/2025 and include these brands:

• Fresh & Ready Foods
• City Point Market Fresh Food to Go
• Fresh Take Crave Away

There’s a massive list of products that are impacted, but they include things like Fresh & Ready Foods Protein Snack, Fresh & Ready Foods Ham & Cheese Croissant Sandwich, and City Point Market Fresh Food to Go Protein Snack. (The FDA has the full breakdown, along with label photos, in case you recently had a ready-to-eat food and want to check to see if it’s part of the recall.)

The impacted foods were distributed in in vending and break room areas in corporate offices, medical buildings and healthcare facilities in Arizona, California, Nevada, and Washington, according to the FDA. There are no reported illnesses linked to the recall, according to the FDA.

The news comes after weeks of government job cuts and program funding cutbacks, including to FDA food safety programs, like quality control for Grade A milk and vegetables, per Reuters. The USDA also cut out two food safety advisory committees. So, it’s fair to feel a little less confident in the safety of our food supply right now. “We don’t have good surveillance systems right now due to changes in our government,” says Janet Buffer, MPH, senior institute manager for the Institute for Food Safety and Nutrition Security at George Washington University.

But what’s the deal with listeria and why is it so concerning? We tapped food safety experts to break it down.

What is listeria?

Listeria monocytogenes is bacterium that can cause listeriosis, a potentially serious and deadly infection, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). While listeria outbreaks don’t happen as often as ones from salmonella, about 1,600 people get sick with listeriosis and 260 die from the condition each year, per the CDC.

“Listeria has a high fatality rate,” Buffer says.

Listeria is also a hearty bacterium and can be found in water and dirt, Buffer says. “In manufacturing plants, it can establish itself in areas such as drains or crevices that are hard to clean,” she explains. “It’s known to create something called a ‘biofilm’ which makes it harder to get out once it’s there.”

Once listeria gets into a production plant, it may stick around. “If listeria is introduced into a manufacturing facility, it can be very hard to get rid of,” says food safety expert Ellen Shumaker, PhD, director of outreach for the Safe Plates program at North Carolina State University.

What does listeria show up in?

Listeria can spread easily through contaminated foods, like unpasteurized cheeses, deli meats, premade deli salads, raw or lightly cooked sprouts, and cut melons, according to the CDC.

“The major concern with Listeria monocytogenes is its ability to survive—and even grow—in cold environments, including refrigeration,” says Darin Detwiler, author of the book Food Safety: Past, Present, and Predictions and a professor at Northeastern University. “Unlike many other foodborne pathogens, listeria isn’t killed by freezing,” he says. “This trait makes it especially dangerous.” He also points out that ready-to-eat (RTE) products like deli meats, soft cheeses, and even ice cream are concerning because they don’t have a “kill step” to get rid of possible listeria contamination.

Listeria symptoms

Listeriosis can cause a range of illnesses, but pregnant women, newborns, older adults, and people with weakened immune systems, are the most likely to become seriously sick, according to the CDC.

“Often times symptoms are mild, with just nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea,” says Kara Lynch, RD, a food safety educator at Michigan State University Extension. “But they can become systemic and lead to fever, stiffness, fatigue, seizures, and more.” And, again, listerosis can be deadly.

How to avoid listeria

You should be able to assume that the food you put in your mouth is safe to eat. But, unfortunately, that’s not always the reality. To lower the odds you’ll end up facing a listeria infection, food safety experts recommend taking a few key steps:

• Pay attention to expiration dates on ready-to-eat foods. “Avoid consuming them after the use-by date,” Detwiler says.
• Keep your refrigerator at 40°F or below. “Clean it regularly, including drawers and shelves where juices from packaged foods can accumulate,” Detwiler says. This won’t kill listeria if it’s in your fridge, but it can slow or prevent the growth of the bacterium.
• Be on top of kitchen hygiene. That means washing your hands, utensils, and surfaces after you handle raw foods, Detwiler explains.
• Steer clear of unpasteurized dairy products. That includes soft cheese and milk, Detwiler says.
• Be wary of certain foods. If you fall into the high-risk category, Lynch recommends being wary of foods like soft cheeses, deli meat, hot dogs, bean sprouts, cold smoked fish, and melons, which are more prone to listeria contamination.
• Keep track of your leftovers. “I recommend not keeping leftover prepared foods for longer than seven days to reduce the ability for listeria to grow,” Shumaker says.

Here’s the thing: You can only do so much about what ends up in the food you eat. But making a few key moves will help to lower the risk that you’ll end up getting sick.

You’re probably aware of this, but if you happen to have any of the recalled foods at home, don’t eat them. The FDA recommends throwing them out and contacting Fresh & Ready Foods at RecallConcern@HotLineGlobal.com or by calling 1-855-424-8390 for a refund.