Frozen Food Recall Hits Major Retailers
A significant frozen food recall has expanded to include products sold at Trader Joe's, Costco, and Walmart. Consumers are urged to check labels and discard affected items as the recall covers a wide array of frozen foods distributed through national retail chains.
The recall has ballooned to include nearly 37 million pounds of frozen ready-to-eat and not-ready-to-eat meals, a significant jump from the initial 3.4 million pounds recalled in February. The expansion was initiated by manufacturer Ajinomoto Foods North America after multiple consumer complaints of finding glass in the food. The source of the contamination has been traced to a vegetable ingredient, specifically carrots, used across a wide range of the company's products. This link prompted the massive expansion of the recall to prevent further potential consumer injuries, although no injuries have been confirmed to date. Beyond Trader Joe's, the recall encompasses frozen fried rice, ramen, and shu mai dumplings sold under the brand names Ajinomoto, Kroger, Ling Ling, and Tai Pei. These products were distributed to retailers nationwide, with some also exported to Canada and Mexico. Affected Trader Joe's products include its Chicken Fried Rice, Vegetable Fried Rice, Japanese Style Fried Rice, and Chicken Shu Mai. The recall covers products produced between October 21, 2024, and February 26, 2026, with a wide range of best-by dates extending from February 2026 to August 2027. The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) has classified this as a Class I recall, indicating a high health risk where there is a "reasonable probability that the use of or exposure to a product will cause serious adverse health consequences or death." Consumers are advised not to eat any of the recalled items and should either discard them or return them to the place of purchase for a full refund. The FSIS is concerned that consumers may still have these products in their freezers.
