The Biggest Recalls In Trader Joe's History

Almond Windmill and Dark Chocolate Chunk and Almond Cookies Have you ever bitten into something and felt like  all of your teeth were going to fall out? You   might just start feeling that way once you hear  these terrifying tales from Trader Joe's history. Trader Joe's is renowned for its delicious  cookies. From Chocolatey Coated Chocolate Chip   Dunkers to the Speculoos biscuits used in its  famous Cookie Butter, the chain makes sure that   its customers always have ample reason to swing by  the bakery. But customer enthusiasm may have been   dampened when the company had to recall two of  its cookies due to rocks. The idea of biting into   a crispy chocolate chip cookie and nearly losing  a tooth on a stray pebble is obviously not ideal. There were no injuries reported, and Trader  Joe's assured its customers that it was   alerted by the supplier rather than by an  unfortunate member of the public. Still,   it was probably a bit embarrassing for  executives when less than a week later,   the chain had to issue yet another voluntary  recall due to rocks once again. This time,   the offending product was  the Fully Cooked Falafel. Chicken, Lentil, & Caramelized Onion Pilaf In February 2024, the USDA's Food Safety  and Inspection Service issued a public   health alert regarding Trader Joe's frozen  Chicken, Lentil & Caramelized Onion Pilaf.   It features a mix of basmati rice, green  lentils, caramelized onions, and chicken,   with additional flavorings like golden  raisins, dates, cumin, and cinnamon. Unfortunately, the batch that was called  out by the FSIS also happened to have   rocks in it. Food inspectors received  multiple complaints from customers,   one of whom suffered a dental injury.  Shoppers were advised to check the   establishment number on their pilaf and throw  out any that were part of the offending batch. "I got a rock." Instant Cold Brew Coffee A hit of caffeine is an essential part of  the morning routine for a lot of people.   So it must have come as a real shock to  Trader Joe's customers to learn in early   2023 that their cups of morning brew might  not be safe to drink. In March of that year,   the company issued a voluntary recall,  as it had been notified by its supplier   that certain jars of Instant Cold Brew  Coffee might contain shards of glass. "Yeah, right, it's, you know,  it's glass, it's broken glass,   you know. I mean, you know, it sells very  well, as a matter of fact, you know." No injuries were reported, but some  instant coffee drinkers may very well   have reconsidered their preferences. The  first cup of Joe in the morning obviously   needs to be strong enough to wake you up,  but not by cutting straight through you. Multigrain Crackers with Sunflower and Flax Seeds There are a lot of so-called foreign objects that  you can probably easily imagine sneaking their way   into food, like a strand of hair or a small piece  of grit. And it's not hard to imagine how glass   could have ended up in jars of Trader Joe's  instant coffee. The jars were made of glass,   after all, and it only takes a single broken one  to throw shards everywhere. But what about… metal? In the summer of 2023, Trader Joe's supplier  Treehouse Foods recalled 13,000 cases of   Multigrain Crackers with Sunflower and  Flax Seeds distributed around California,   Connecticut, Florida, Illinois, Pennsylvania,  Texas, and Washington, due to fears that they   contained pieces of metal. The information  provided was sparse. Trader Joe's assured   customers that no injuries had been reported  and that all products had been removed from   circulation. But the question still lingers: how  did metal manage to hide itself in thin crackers? Matcha Green Tea Ice Cream One of the most prominent examples of how Trader  Joe's differentiates itself from its competitors   is in the ice cream department. Simply put,  the chain keeps things original with its   frozen treats, and customers keep coming  back for more. But things got a little   too original in 2017 when tiny metal fragments  were found in the Matcha Green Tea Ice Cream.   This dessert had been a favorite of many  shoppers for its sweet flavor and rich,   velvety texture, but even diehard  fans had to draw the line at metal. Trader Joe's removed the product from its freezers  and issued an appeal to its customers to throw   away any pints that they might already have at  home. It assured everyone that no injuries were   associated with the recall, though there was  no explanation how the metal fragments came   to light. Nor did the chain explain how it  got into the ice cream in the first place. Soft-Baked Snickerdoodles Trader Joe's Soft-Baked Snickerdoodles had  it all: a soft, chewy texture, a dusting of   cinnamon and sugar, and an affordable price. They  were wheat-free, egg-free, soy-free, milk-free,   and also free from tree nuts, peanuts, and sesame.  And they somehow didn't taste like a vegan,   gluten-free consolation prize. Instead, they  tasted sublime. Unfortunately, a certain batch hit   Trader Joe's shelves in 2022 that contained one  extra, very unwelcome ingredient: hard plastic. "One word." "Yes, sir." "Are you listening?" "Yes, sir, I am." "Plastics." Enjoy Life Natural Brands, which manufactured  the cookies, issued the voluntary recall "out   of an abundance of caution." And soon afterwards,  customers started to notice that these cookies   had disappeared completely. Some of them took to  Reddit to speculate that Trader Joe's was merely   looking for a new manufacturer, while others  pointed out that the same cookies were still   being sold under the Enjoy Life Natural  Brands packaging at other grocery stores. Then in early 2024, TJ's released a new  Snickerdoodle product featuring a flat,   rather than puffy, shape and a crinkly  texture akin to a classic sugar cookie.   It actually received rave reviews from shoppers,   but for those who remember the original Soft-Baked  Snickerdoodle, it wasn't so easy to move on. "I'd much rather head home, bake some  snickerdoodles with a few of my bros." Chicken and Turkey Salads In 2017, Trader Joe's was forced to recall  several types of chicken and turkey salads   because they may have contained both silica and  glass. The FDA announced that Green Cuisine,   the supplier of several ready-to-eat products sold  under the Trader Joe's brand, had been alerted   of the issue by customers. It recalled three  products: White Meat Chicken Salad with Celery,   Carrots, and Green onions; Curried White  Chicken Deli Salad with Toasted Cashews,   Green Onion, and a Bit of Honey; and  Turkey Cranberry Apple Salad Turkey   Breast Meat with Sweet Dried Cranberries,  Tangy Green Apples, Pecans, and Sage. The recalled batches were sold throughout  12 states, including California, Texas,   and Washington. Overall, the company  recalled over 65,000 pounds of the products,   while the FDA's announcement urged  customers to either throw away any   previously purchased items that fit the  description or return them to the store. Lemon Chicken & Arugula Salad One common reason for recalling products is  mislabeling. For people with food allergies,   warnings of trace ingredients can be a  matter of life and death. Trader Joe's   has fallen afoul of mislabeling on multiple  occasions, including in March 2023 when it   discovered that its Lemon Chicken &  Arugula Salad sold in Idaho, Oregon,   and Washington didn't contain crucial allergen  information about the inclusion of wheat. Although the products featured the correct  top label, the bottom label was the ingredient   statement for the Broccoli Slaw and Kale Salad  with White Chicken Meat, which did not contain   wheat. As a result, customers with severe wheat  allergies were at risk, and the FSIS issued   a recall. Fortunately, no allergic reactions  were reported. The FSIS urged customers who had   purchased the mislabeled salads to throw them  away or return them to the store immediately,   even though people without wheat allergies  would presumably have been okay to eat them. Texas Tamale Company Gourmet Black Bean Tamales Considering that food processing facilities are  such large-scale operations, it's surprising that   things don't go wrong more often. That's a fact  we're reminded of every time a company issues a   food recall. Perhaps it's no surprise then that  one of the most common reasons for recalls is   mislabeling, such as the time in 2023 when Trader  Joe's Hatch Green Chile and Cheese Tamales were   mistakenly packaged in Black Bean Tamale Bags. The  former contained milk, while the latter did not. Under normal circumstances, this might not have  caused much of a stir. No adverse health effects   were reported, and the company immediately pulled  the product from circulation. However, the news   made headlines because it happened to be Trader  Joe's sixth recall in less than six weeks. This   prompted various outlets to trumpet the concern  of formerly devoted TJ's shoppers who had taken   to social media to voice their mounting distress  over the company's competence, or lack thereof. Chili Lime Chicken Burgers "Bone fragments" is typically  not a phrase you want to hear   in connection with anything, especially food. "Children, please send me your bones." Alas, in 2021, Trader Joe's released a  statement explaining that some of their   products might indeed be hiding pieces of bone.  The offending product was the Chili Lime Chicken   Burgers. Made with ground chicken, onions, bell  peppers, garlic, and lime juice concentrate,   they provided the perfect mix of flavors  without detracting from all the fixings. When the company received complaints about  these burgers' accidental ingredient,   nearly 100,000 pounds of the product were  recalled. It was certainly a large quantity,   but shoppers had every reason to believe that  once the usual safety checks were administered,   these burgers would be back in stores  for the long haul. Sadly, though,   Trader Joe's discontinued them sometime  later without much fanfare. There's no   evidence that connects this decision with the 2021  recall, but customers were still left hanging. Carnitas with Salsa Verde Burrito According to the CDC, listeriosis sickens about  1,600 people per year and kills about 260.   Salmonella infections are much more common, with  about 1.35 million cases in the U.S. each year,   including 26,500 hospitalizations and 420 deaths.  When manufacturers discover that their products   might be contaminated with either bacterium,  or both, they tend to take swift action. In 2018, Trader Joe's was faced  with this exact health emergency,   as one of its suppliers recalled a whopping  795,261 pounds of ready-to-eat meat and   poultry products that contained potentially  contaminated onions. The chain's Carnitas and   Salsa Verde Burritos were immediately pulled from  shelves, with customers urged to throw them away   if they had any at home. Luckily, no illnesses  were reported in connection with the recall. Chicken Enchiladas Verde Recalls often provide an unusual glimpse into  the secretive supply chains that fuel our food   consumption. Manufacturers are rarely household  names, and when one of them announces a recall,   the list of grocery stores it comes into contact  with can be surprisingly long. One such incident   arose in February 2024 when the FDA announced  a far-reaching recall of dairy products made by   Rizo-López Foods due to listeria contamination.  It involved over a hundred products sold under a   number of familiar brands including Trader Joe's,  Dole, Whole Foods 365, Safeway, Costco, and HEB. This recall was related to an outbreak of  listeriosis that had been ongoing since   2014. Only 26 cases were confirmed, although  23 of those resulted in hospitalization and   two resulted in death. The recall affected  stores across the U.S. and into Canada and   included products like Whole Foods 365's Ricotta  Cheese, Trader Joe's Chicken Enchiladas Verdes,   Dole's Chopped Avocado Ranch Kit,  and Costco's Chicken Street Taco Kit. Unexpected Broccoli Cheddar Soup When it turns out that the food on our  supermarket shelves might contain insects,   we can't help but react  with uncontrollable horror. (Screaming) So when Trader Joe's announced in 2023 that its  broccoli cheddar soup might have this very issue,   it unsurprisingly made headlines. The company's  plight wasn't exactly helped by the fact that   the official name of the product was  "Unexpected" Broccoli Cheddar Soup. According to the FDA, the voluntary recall  affected nearly 11,000 cases of the soup   that were distributed throughout Florida,  Illinois, California, Texas, Washington,   Pennsylvania, and Connecticut.  The insects were hiding in the   broccoli florets. No adverse effects were  reported from the incident, although that   surely doesn't account for the emotional  consequences of this "unexpected" surprise. Organic Tropical Fruit Blend In March 2023, Trader Joe's recalled its  Organic Tropical Fruit Blend in response   to an outbreak of Hepatitis A, a highly  contagious virus with acute symptoms. The   recall affected multiple retailers in addition  to Trader Joe's, including Costco and Aldi. A few months later, the same Trader Joe's  product was hit with yet another recall,   this time over fears of an even more dangerous  contaminant: listeria. According to the CDC,   listeria is the third leading cause of  death from foodborne illness or food   poisoning in the U.S., with about  1,600 cases each year. Accordingly,   Trader Joe's issued an urgent appeal to  its customers to throw away or return the   Tropical Fruit Blend. Fortunately, though,  no cases of listeriosis were reported.