About the Recalled Product
The recall covers three package formats of Smoked Mozzarella Penne Salad sold in Giant Eagle and Market District prepared foods departments with expiration dates between September 30 and October 7, 2025:
- Variable weight packages — UPC 256616000000 (exp. September 30–October 7, 2025)
- Small, 4 lb 8 oz — UPC 246511000000 (exp. September 30–October 3, 2025)
- Large, 9 lb — UPC 246512000000 (exp. September 30–October 3, 2025)
Products were sold starting September 25, 2025, and distributed to Giant Eagle and Market District locations across western Pennsylvania, Ohio, Maryland, and Indiana.
Latest Updates
Giant Eagle announced the voluntary recall on October 3, 2025, after determining the pasta salad was made with Nate’s Fine Foods pasta that had been recalled for Listeria monocytogenes contamination [1]. The FDA’s outbreak investigation has linked the Nate’s Fine Foods pasta supply to 28 confirmed illnesses, 27 hospitalizations, 7 deaths, and 1 pregnancy-associated fetal loss across 19 states as of February 11, 2026 [2]. Giant Eagle reported no illnesses connected specifically to its recalled pasta salad as of the announcement date [3].
The Nate’s Fine Foods Supply Chain Connection
The contamination did not originate at Giant Eagle’s prepared foods kitchen — it originated with Nate’s Fine Foods, Inc., the upstream supplier whose pre-cooked pasta tested positive for Listeria monocytogenes and was incorporated into finished products assembled by multiple manufacturers and sold under numerous retail brands nationwide. A customer purchasing Giant Eagle’s house-made pasta salad from the prepared foods counter had no way of knowing the penne inside it came from the same contaminated supplier linked to seven deaths across the country.
When an ingredient supplier’s contamination moves through the supply chain into finished products sold under a major grocer’s prepared foods label, both the originating supplier and the retailer who sourced and sold the finished product are positioned as potential defendants in any product liability action arising from illness.
Seven Deaths in a Nationwide Outbreak
The Listeria outbreak tied to Nate’s Fine Foods pre-cooked pasta is among the deadliest foodborne illness events in recent years — 27 of the 28 confirmed patients required hospitalization, a rate that reflects how severely Listeria monocytogenes can progress in susceptible individuals. The outbreak reached 19 states spanning Hawaii to Florida and Virginia to Oregon, illustrating how a single contaminated ingredient supplier can seed illness across a national distribution network before any single case is connected to a common source.
Why Listeria in Deli Pasta Salad Is Particularly Dangerous
Prepared pasta salads are a high-risk vehicle for Listeria because they are ready-to-eat, held at refrigeration temperatures that Listeria can survive and even multiply in, and often consumed days after purchase — giving the pathogen additional time to proliferate. Unlike products that are heated before eating, a deli pasta salad served cold from the prepared foods case reaches the consumer with no thermal kill step between the contaminated ingredient and ingestion.
Listeriosis symptoms — fever, muscle aches, headache, stiff neck, and confusion — can appear anywhere from three days to ten weeks after exposure. Pregnant women face the most acute risk: Listeria can cross the placental barrier and cause miscarriage, stillbirth, premature delivery, or fatal newborn infection even when the mother’s own symptoms remain mild.
Reported Illnesses
Giant Eagle reported no confirmed illnesses tied directly to its Smoked Mozzarella Penne Salad as of the October 3, 2025 recall announcement. Given Listeria’s extended incubation window and the fact that the outbreak’s full scope — 28 cases, 7 deaths — was not established until months later, individuals who consumed the product and subsequently fell ill may not have connected their illness to this specific source.
Can I File a Lawsuit?
If you or a family member developed listeriosis after consuming Giant Eagle Smoked Mozzarella Penne Salad with expiration dates between September 30 and October 7, 2025, you may have product liability claims against Giant Eagle and Nate’s Fine Foods. Contact an attorney promptly, as state filing deadlines apply.
What to Do Now
Do not eat any Giant Eagle Smoked Mozzarella Penne Salad bearing the UPC codes and expiration dates listed above — discard the product or return it to your local Giant Eagle or Market District for a full refund. Contact Giant Eagle Customer Care at 1-800-553-2324 (Monday–Friday, 8 a.m.–8 p.m. ET) with any questions.
References
1. https://www.fda.gov/safety/recalls-market-withdrawals-safety-alerts/giant-eagle-recalls-smoked-mozzarella-pasta-salad-due-potential-listeria-monocytogenes-contamination
2. https://www.fda.gov/food/outbreaks-foodborne-illness/outbreak-investigation-listeria-monocytogenes-prepared-pasta-meals-june-2025
3. https://foodpoisoningbulletin.com/2025/giant-eagle-smoked-mozzarella-pasta-salad-recalled-for-listeria/