Shoppers across multiple states were advised this week to discard or return a refrigerated prepared dish sold by a large supermarket chain after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued an alert in September linking the product to potential bacterial contamination. The retailer removed affected items from shelves and posted recall details on its website as federal and state health authorities investigate.

“We have removed the item from all stores and are working closely with public health officials to ensure customer safety,” said a company spokesperson. The statement added that the chain will refund purchases and is cooperating with trace-back efforts to identify the source of the contamination.

The CDC did not name a specific bacterium in its public notice but urged consumers who purchased the product to follow recall instructions and monitor for symptoms. “People who have the recalled product should not eat it,” a CDC spokesperson said. “Anyone who develops fever, gastrointestinal symptoms or other signs of infection after consuming the product should contact a health-care provider promptly.”

Foodborne bacteria such as Salmonella, E. coli and Listeria are common causes of recalls. While many infected people experience diarrhea, vomiting and fever, certain populations — pregnant people, young children, older adults and people with weakened immune systems — face higher risks of severe illness, hospitalization and long-term complications. Health officials emphasized that rapid removal of contaminated products and clear public communication can reduce illness and stem wider outbreaks.

Public health departments in affected states have launched interviews with patients and inspections of supply chains to determine whether the contamination was a processing lapse, cross-contamination at the store level, or an upstream problem at a supplier. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration and state agencies typically coordinate such probes for packaged and ready-to-eat foods, while state partners handle on-the-ground inspections.

Community advocates say recalls of prepared foods reveal broader equity issues. “Many families rely on affordable ready meals when time, transportation and income make cooking from scratch difficult,” said Dr. Alicia Benitez, a food justice researcher. “When those options are removed — even temporarily — people with limited food budgets and precarious work schedules bear the brunt.”

Experts also pointed to policy gaps that can worsen outcomes: limited laboratory capacity in local health departments, uneven inspection resources across states and inadequate sick leave policies that can incentivize workers to work while ill. “Preventing foodborne illness is not only about industry compliance; it’s about ensuring workers can stay home when sick, and that regulators have the tools to trace problems quickly,” Benitez added.

For now, the immediate public-health response centers on preventing additional exposures. Officials encourage consumers to check store communications for product identifiers, discard recalled items or return them for refunds, and to thoroughly clean surfaces that may have contacted the food. Those with symptoms or who belong to high-risk groups should seek medical advice.

As investigators work to pinpoint the source, the episode underscores persistent vulnerabilities in the food system and the disproportionate toll recalls can take on communities with fewer resources and less access to alternative food options.