Lessons from the U.S. Ready-to-Eat Pasta Listeria Recall – U.S. Correspondence by Jay Lee (162)
- nofearljc
- Nov 28
- 3 min read
Korean Products May Be Safe at Home, But U.S. Conditions Are Different
A Highly Fragmented Food Industry Requires Full Supply Chain Visibility
Foodborne Illnesses Leading to Death Can Result in Criminal Liability
By Jongchan Lee, CEO of J&B Food Consulting
A recent foodborne illness outbreak linked to ready-to-eat frozen pasta sold in major U.S. retailers has resulted in multiple deaths, raising serious concerns across the food industry. Products supplied by Nate’s Fine Foods were implicated in the incident, which left at least 25 people hospitalized and 6 dead. Between August 2024 and October 2025, a total of 27 cases were reported across 18 states, including the tragic loss of a fetus following infection in a pregnant woman. This incident carries a direct and urgent message for all Korean food manufacturers active in—or aspiring to enter—the U.S. market.
The sequence of events is as follows:
The first infection was recorded around August 2024. In June 2025, Listeria was detected in FreshRealm-manufactured Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo products. Kroger and Walmart subsequently issued large-scale recalls of Home Chef and Marketside branded items. FreshRealm then conducted internal testing of its pasta components and found the same Listeria strain in linguine supplied by Nate’s Fine Foods. Genetic analysis confirmed that it matched the strain found in the products recalled earlier.
Korean food companies often say, “We are confident in our quality,” or “As long as we maintain temperature until the expiration date, it’s safe.” But this confidence can be misguided. The United States presents a vastly different environment from Korea—especially regarding logistics, distribution timelines, and consumer handling. Export operations involve lengthy transportation periods, including pre-export staging and post-arrival distribution.
Listeria monocytogenes can grow under refrigeration and even survive in freezing conditions, requiring extreme caution. Large recalls involving Listeria can carry criminal consequences. Even if a product has posed no issues in Korea, that does not guarantee its safety in the U.S. context.
When a foodborne illness outbreak occurs, the situation in the United States can quickly escalate into a major public health crisis with fatalities. The consequences extend not only to the manufacturer but also to foreign distributors and U.S. importers. Violations of federal law can lead to criminal charges, and U.S. penalties are significantly harsher than those in Korea.
Unlike the U.S., routine environmental monitoring for Listeria in production facilities is not yet common practice in Korea. Korean manufacturers typically test for airborne microbes, which is insufficient for detecting deadly pathogens like Listeria.
Today's food industry is highly segmented. A single product often relies on ingredients from multiple suppliers. The danger is that inadequate sanitation at any one point in the chain can collapse the entire system. Korean food manufacturers must thoroughly understand and control their entire supply chain—not rely solely on a supplier’s HACCP certificate. A minor oversight in routine sanitation cost six people their lives.
Ready-to-eat (RTE) foods offer convenience and flavor but inherently carry greater risk. Some companies still view stringent hygiene management as an expense. However, as this U.S. incident demonstrates, food safety failures do not end with lost sales or fines. These incidents cost human lives and can destroy decades of accumulated brand trust. Food safety is not a cost—it is an investment.
Machine translated
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