Walmart's Bettergoods Pasta Recall Expanded to All Lots Over Listeria

The FDA has expanded a recall of Walmart's Bettergoods Authentic Italian Lemon Alfredo Fettuccine from select lots to all lots produced, citing possible contamination with Listeria monocytogenes, a bacterium that can cause serious infection and death. The recalled product was distributed to Walmart stores nationwide.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration published the expanded recall notice on October 1. It covers a single product: Bettergoods Authentic Italian Lemon Alfredo Fettuccine, frozen, sold in 22 oz packages with UPC 194346442706.

The escalation marks the second recall notice for the same item in two weeks. On September 15, the FDA announced the original recall of the pasta, made by Gias Foods of New York City and sold under Walmart's Bettergoods brand. That first notice applied only to specific lot numbers. The new notice extends the recall to all lot codes of the product.

Routine sampling by state agriculture services revealed that the pasta may contain the harmful bacteria, according to the recall notice.

A pattern for a young premium brand

Bettergoods is Walmart's relatively new premium grocery label. As Fast Company reported, Walmart launched the label in 2024 to build a premium private-label brand distinct from its low-cost Great Value line. The brand targeted shoppers with more discretionary dollars, offering products made with higher-quality ingredients and a distinctive visual identity.

The recall record is already testing that positioning. In October 2024, some Bettergoods waffle products were caught up in a larger multi-brand waffle recall tied to TreeHouse Foods. This past August, Walmart recalled Bettergoods Pistachio Nut Butter over Salmonella fears.

The fettuccine recall is the third significant safety event for the label in roughly a year.

The health risk

Listeria monocytogenes causes an infection with a notably high mortality rate. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about 1,250 people in the United States contract a Listeria infection each year, and about 172 of them die from it.

The infection can affect anyone, but the CDC identifies certain groups as particularly vulnerable: pregnant women, newborns, adults aged 65 or older, and people with weakened immune systems.

What consumers should do

The recall notice advises customers who have the recalled product to take it back to its place of purchase for a refund. Full details, including images of the recalled packaging, are available in the FDA recall notice.

For Walmart, the expansion from selected lots to the entire production run raises the cost of a quality failure on a brand the company built to command premium prices. With three recalls in Bettergoods' short lifetime, Walmart will need to demonstrate that its premium label can match the safety record shoppers already expect from its budget lines.