Trader Joe’s is recalling four frozen food products because they may be contaminated with glass, the company said, part of a wider recall of nearly 37 million pounds of food distributed by Ajinomoto Foods.
The grocer, which has corporate offices in Monrovia, Calif., and Boston, announced on Tuesday that it had recalled packages of Vegetable Fried Rice, Chicken Shu Mai and Japanese Style Fried Rice “out of an abundance of caution” because those products may contain “foreign material.” It had previously recalled Chicken Fried Rice, and added new batches for that product in the latest recall.
“We err on the side of caution and are proactive in addressing issues,” Nakia Rohde, a spokeswoman for Trader Joe’s, said in an email on Wednesday. “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.”
She added that the company shares news of recalls through in-store signs, on its website and via email alerts.
The affected products from the latest announcement are Chicken Fried Rice, with best by dates of March 4 through Feb. 10, 2027; Vegetable Fried Rice, with best-by dates of Feb. 28 through Nov. 19; Japanese Style Fried Rice, with best-by dates of Feb. 28 through Nov. 14; and Chicken Shu Mai, with best-by dates of March 13 through Oct. 23. The previous recall, issued on Feb. 20, was for Chicken Fried Rice.
The recall was connected to the company Ajinomoto Foods North America. Federal safety regulators said on Tuesday that Ajinomoto, which is based in Portland, Ore., was recalling 36,987,575 pounds of various ready-to-eat and not-ready-to-eat chicken and pork fried rice, ramen and shu mai dumpling products, sold under various brand names, because of potential contamination. The products were also labeled under the names Ajinomoto, Kroger, Ling Ling and Tai Pei, the agency said, and shipped to retail locations nationwide.
The federal agency said on Tuesday that the company had received “multiple consumer complaints involving glass found in product.” Carrots in those products were the likely source of the contamination, the agency said.
In a statement, Ajinomoto Foods North America said that there had been no injuries or adverse reactions connected to the potential contamination concerns. “Out of an abundance of caution, we have expanded on our voluntary recall for certain frozen products that may contain glass,” it said.
The company added, “We are committed to maintaining the highest safety standards,” and said that it would continue to work closely with the Agriculture Department.
Trader Joe’s said that no injuries had been reported in connection with the recall by the grocery chain, which was founded in 1967, has more than 500 stores across 42 states and Washington and is known for its unique snacks and ready-to-eat meals.
Trader Joe’s urged customers who have any of the recalled packages to not use them. The company said that the products should be thrown away or returned to the place of purchase for a full refund. Customers may also contact the company at (626) 599-3817 or send an email.
Johnny Diaz is a reporter for The Times covering breaking news from Miami.
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