Trader Joe’s frozen food recall expands: Watch out for glass in these products

Nearly 10 million more pounds of popular Trader Joe’s frozen food items have been recalled amid an ongoing recall after multiple customer complaints about pieces of glass in the products, according to an FDA notice.

The affected items, 16 of them, were distributed in more than two dozen states, including New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut. They were sold under brand names at Trader Joe’s, Kroger, Ling Ling, and Tai Pei.

Ajinomoto Foods North America, which manufactures the items, initiated the recall about five weeks ago, after receiving multiple complaints about glass found in the products.

The products subject to recall bear establishment number P-18356, P-18356B, or P-47971 inside the USDA mark of inspection. Certain Ajinomoto items were exported to Canada and Mexico. See the full product list.

Upon further investigation, federal officials determined that a vegetable source ingredient, specifically carrots, was the likely source of the glass contamination, which also impacted the additional products subject to this expanded recall. There have been no confirmed reports of injury due to product consumption as of March 3.

No new press release was issued along with the latest recall expansion. It’s unclear if any injuries were reported in the three weeks since the prior update. Trader Joe’s said it was pulling more products as a precaution.

The latest recall expansion pulls more than 400,000 cases of Trader Joe’s Vegetable Fried Rice due to the presence of “foreign objects.” The glass bits vary in size, the notice said. Previously mentioned by Trader Joe’s in connection with the recall: its Chicken Fried Rice, Japanese Style Fried Rice and Chicken Shu Mai.

Anyone concerned about potential injury should reach out to a healthcare provider. People who have the products in their freezers, or retailers who have them in theirs, are urged to throw them away immediately.

Consumers can also return them to the place of purchase. For its part, Trader Joe’s says it is taking care of the issue.

“We err on the side of caution and are proactive in addressing issues,” Trader Joe’s told USA TODAY in a statement. “We voluntarily take action quickly, aggressively investigating potential problems and removing the product from sale if there is any doubt about its safety or quality.”

The FDA recently classified the recall as a Class II, meaning consumption of the recalled items could cause “temporary or medically reversible adverse health consequences.” The chances of serious adverse health effects, however, are considered to be “remote.”