A Listeria outbreak linked to frozen supplemental shakes primarily served at long-term care facilities has killed one person in Minnesota. The shakes, produced by Prairie Farms Dairy Inc. in Fort Wayne, Indiana, and sold under the brand names Lyons ReadyCare and Sysco Imperial, have been recalled. The 21-state outbreak has caused 38 illnesses and 12 deaths.
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“Hospitals and long-term care facilities should be the last place anyone has to worry about foodborne illness, but this outbreak shows how serious food safety failures can be. Even more troubling, cases go back to 2018. Families deserve answers, and we’re here to help them get justice,” said Pritzker Hageman’s Managing Partner Eric Hageman.
Outbreak Began in 2018
When someone gets an infection from E. coli, Salmonella, or Listeria, health officials perform whole genome sequencing (WGS) tests to identify the genetic “fingerprint” of the bacteria. These fingerprints are then uploaded to a national database monitored by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). When matching fingerprints appear, it suggests people got sick from the same food.
The first illnesses in this outbreak occurred in 2018, and the CDC opened an investigation but closed it because there wasn’t enough available information to pinpoint the food source. As the years went by and matching fingerprints continued to appear, the CDC opened and closed the investigation twice more – once in 2021 and once in 2023. The investigations were again closed due to a lack of information about the food source.
In October 2024, after six new illnesses were reported, the CDC reopened the investigation. And this time, frozen supplemental shakes served to residents at long-term care facilities were identified as a common food source. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) reviewed purchasing records from long-term care facilities where illnesses had occurred, tracked down where the products were made, collected samples, and tested them. The outbreak strain was found in environmental samples collected from Prairie Farms.
Thirty-four of the 38 patients sickened in this outbreak, who range in age from 43 to 101 years old, lived in long-term care facilities or were hospitalized before they became ill. Their onset of symptoms occurred on dates ranging from August 23, 2018, to January 23, 2025. All but one of them required hospitalization.
The 21 states reporting illnesses are: AL, CA, CO, CT, FL, IL, IN, MD, MI, MN, MO, NC, NV, NY, OH, OK, PA, TN, TX, WA, and WV. Twelve fatalities were reported from 10 states: California, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, North Carolina, New York, Tennessee, Texas, and Washington.
Experienced Listeria and Wrongful Death Lawyers
The Pritzker Hageman Listeria lawyers have an unequaled track record. Our firm has represented clients in every major Listeria outbreak and has obtained numerous million and multi-million-dollar recoveries.
If you have been sickened or experienced the wrongful death of a loved one and would like a free consultation with our experienced team of Listeria lawyers, please contact us today by calling 888-377-8900 (toll-free), texting 612-261-0856, or by completing the form below.