Trader Joe's frozen fried rice products voluntarily recalled due to potential foreign material contamination
Millions of Trader Joe's frozen fried rice products are being voluntarily recalled due to potential contamination with foreign material, specifically glass.
Ajinomoto Foods North America, Inc. and the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service announced Thursday that approximately 3,370,530 pounds of frozen not ready-to-eat chicken fried rice products sold under the Trader Joe's brand name and under the Ajinomoto brand were recalled following customer complaints about glass being found in the product.
The recalled rice products, which were distributed to Trader Joe's stores across the U.S., bear the Trader Joe's brand name and were labeled as "TRADER JOE'S Chicken Fried Rice with stir fried rice, vegetables, seasoned dark chicken meat and eggs," according to an announcement from the FSIS.
The 20-ounce rice product packages were made between Sept. 8, 2025, and Nov. 17, 2025, and labeled with "best by" dates ranging from Sept. 8, 2026, through Nov. 17, 2026, the FSIS stated.
The recalled Ajinomoto-branded rice products were exported only to Canada, according to the FSIS announcement. Those products were labeled "AJINOMOTO YAKITORI CHICKEN WITH JAPANESE-STYLE FRIED RICE" and were shipped in 1.53-kilogram cardboard packages with six frozen bags each, the agency said.
The FSIS announcement noted that the recalled Ajinomoto-branded products have "best by" date labels of Sept. 9, 2026, through Nov. 12, 2026.
Both the Trader Joe's and Ajinomoto-branded recalled products bear the establishment number P-18356 inside the USDA mark of inspection.
The FSIS has urged anyone with recalled rice products not to eat them and to throw them out or return them to the place of purchase.
When reached by ABC News, Ajinomoto Foods North America, Inc. said it initiated the recall "out of an abundance of caution."
"There have been no injuries or adverse reactions to date," the company said. "We are committed to maintaining the highest safety standards, and we continue to work closely with the USDA."
The company directed consumers to the FSIS website or the USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline at 1-888-674-6854 for further recall and food safety information.
Consumers with questions can also contact Ajinomoto Foods North America at (855) 742-5011 or by email at customercare@ajinomotofoods.com, the company said.
In an email to its customers, Trader Joe's outlined the details of the recall and stated, "If you have packages with lot codes listed above, please do not use them. We urge you to dispose of them and go to any Trader Joe's for a full refund."
The grocery chain added that customers with questions can call its Customer Relations department at (626) 599-3817 or by email through the company's "product feedback" page.
