See recalled supplement shakes linked to 12 deaths
What is listeria? Here’s what you need to know
Learn about Listeria, its symptoms and essential preventive measures to safeguard against the food borne illness.
The death toll in a listeria outbreak linked to frozen supplement shakes distributed at nursing homes and hospitals has risen to 12, according to a Food and Drug Administration update shared Monday.
The FDA announced its investigation into the outbreak Friday, linking it to shakes sold under the brand names Lyons ReadyCare and Sysco Imperial. The agency is working with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and local health officials to track the 21-state outbreak, which has caused illnesses mostly in patients of hospitals and long-term care facilities.
Lyons Magnus LLC issued a voluntary recall that covers multiple Lyons ReadyCare and Sysco Imperial frozen supplemental shakes within shelf-life. On Monday, it said it had narrowed down the issue to shakes manufactured by Prairie Farms Dairy, Inc. in the Prairie Farms facility in Fort Wayne, Indiana.
As of Feb. 24, the FDA was aware of 38 illnesses linked to the outbreak across 21 states. Of the 38, all but one were hospitalized and 12 died. Nearly 90% of sick people reported living in long-term care facilities or were hospitalized before becoming sick.
The CDC had previously begun tracking the same outbreak in 2018, with 20 cases cropping up throughout 2024 and 2025. During the prior investigations, epidemiologists were unable to identify the source of the illnesses.
Current case numbers include those that occurred between the initial 2018 incident and now, as the outbreak is ongoing.
Which states have related listeria cases?
There are currently 21 states with known listeria outbreaks related to this recall:
- Alabama
- California
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- Florida
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Maryland
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- Missouri
- Nevada
- New York
- North Carolina
- Ohio
- Oklahoma
- Pennsylvania
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Washington
- West Virginia
Which Lyons ReadyCare and Sysco Imperial shakes are recalled?
All recalled products have “best buy” dates between 02/21/25 and 02/21/26, according to Lyons Magnus.
- ReadyCare Frozen Vanilla Shake
- ReadyCare Frozen Chocolate Shake
- ReadyCare Frozen Strawberry Shake
- ReadyCare Frozen Vanilla Shake NSA
- ReadyCare Frozen Strawberry Shake NSA
- ReadyCare Frozen Chocolate Shake Plus
- ReadyCare Frozen Strawberry Shake Plus
- ReadyCare Frozen Vanilla Shake Plus
- ReadyCare Frozen Strawberry Banana Shake NSA
- ReadyCare Frozen Chocolate Shake NSA
- Imperial Frozen Vanilla Shake
- Imperial Frozen Chocolate Shake
- Imperial Frozen Strawberry Shake
- Imperial Frozen Vanilla Shake NSA
- Imperial Frozen Strawberry Shake NSA
- Imperial Frozen Strawberry Banana Shake NSA
- Imperial Frozen Chocolate Shake NSA
What is listeriosis or listeria poisoning?
Listeriosis, or listeria poisoning, is a foodborne bacterial infection most commonly caused by the bacterium Listeria monocytogenes. It is considered a serious condition and can be dangerous or life-threatening, especially to older adults, people with weak immune systems and pregnant people.
Signs and symptoms of listeriosis can take weeks after consumption to appear. Persons in the higher-risk categories who experience flu-like symptoms within two months after eating contaminated food should seek medical care and tell the health care provider about eating the contaminated food, says the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
According to the USDA, symptoms include:
- Fever
- Muscle aches
- Headache
- Stiff neck
- Confusion
- Loss of balance
- Convulsions
- Diarrhea
- Other gastrointestinal symptoms
- Miscarriage, stillbirth, premature delivery and/or life-threatening infection of newborn infants
- Death
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