After reports surfaced of a choking incident involving one of its frozen meals, Nestle issued a voluntary recall and said it detected a “wood-like” substance in some of its products.
Nestle didn’t disclose the scope of the recall — beyond describing it as “isolated to a limited quantity of batches” in a prepared statement. The company added that the Food and Drug Administration and the Department of Agriculture are involved in the matter.
When seeking a little extra fiber, wood chips with your shrimp stir-fry probably aren’t top of mind. So, how does this happen?
“Foreign objects, such as the wood-like material that has been found recently in some of Nestle’s frozen meal options, can find its way into food during the manufacturing or packaging stages,” said Jason Reese, co-founder and attorney at Wagner Reese, a firm which specializes in food injury and illness.
He added, “Failure to follow proper safety protocols that include routine inspections of the equipment used in the process can result in contamination. From a legal perspective, if a company isn’t performing these checks and balances, this negligence could be considered product liability,” Reese told Quartz.
Read on to see which products are on Nestle’s list.
If you have this meal in your freezer and it has any of the codes below, toss it or take it back to the store for a refund.
4261595912 – OCT2025
4283595912 – NOV2025
4356595912 – JAN2026
5018595912 – FEB2026
5038595912 – MAR2026
Julie Chapon, an expert in food safety and technology, told Quartz that the “presence of wood-like material in Nestle’s frozen dinners highlights a common issue in food manufacturing: foreign object contamination.” Chapon, the cofounder and CEO of Yuka — which makes a food and cosmetics scanning app — added that contamination can occur due to equipment malfunction or improper cleaning during the production process.
“Materials like wood, plastic, or metal can break off from machinery and inadvertently mix with food products,” Chapon said.
The following batches of these dinners have been recalled:
4311595912 – DEC2025
5002595912 – FEB2026
5037595912 – MAR2026
5064595912 – APR2026
Chapon told Quartz that food recalls are on the rise for a variety of reasons.
“ This trend is partly driven by stricter regulations and advancements in detection technology, which allow for more precise identification of contaminants,” Chapon said, adding that consumer expectations for safety and transparency have led companies to be more proactive in issuing recalls.
Only one batch of this dish has been impacted. If you have the following batch code, it is eligible for a refund and you should not consume the product:
4214595511 – SEPT2025
Planning to serve chicken lasagna at your party? Think again if you have these batches in your freezer:
4262595915 – OCT2025
4351595915 – JAN2026
5051595915 – MAR2026
5052595915 – MAR2026
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