Trader Joe’s recall expanded to 10 million more pounds of food over glass shard contamination

Trader Joe’s has expanded a massive recall of popular frozen dinners after health regulators uncovered contamination with small, hard glass pieces.

Recalls of Ajinomoto Foods North America Trader Joe’s branded frozen packages of fried rice started in February, from 3.4 million pounds of products recalled, to another 33.6 million pounds on March 3.

On March 20, the FDA announced another expansion, including an additional 9.9 million pounds of vegetable fried rice and Japanese-Style Fried Rice With Edamame, Tofu and Hijiki Seaweed, bringing the total to about 47 million pounds of product.

The company had received at least four complaints from customers who said they had found small glass fragments in their food. Further investigation found that frozen carrots were likely the source of contamination.

There have not been any reports of injuries tied to the recalled products containing foreign objects, but the USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service expressed concern that the newly downgraded class II recalled items could still be in millions of freezers across the country.   

Trader Joe’s said in a statement: ‘If you have packages of the products listed above, please do not use them. Please discard the product or return it to any Trader Joe’s for a full refund.’

A class II designation, the second-most severe FDA/FSIS classification for recalls, is defined as ‘a situation in which use of, or exposure to, a violative product may cause temporary or medically reversible adverse health consequences or where the probability of serious adverse health consequences is remote.’

The items pulled from shelves were distributed to stores across 43 states coast-to-coast.

To identify the products, look for item number 5650233 on the packaging, according to an FDA notice to stores and consumers. The barcode on the individual bag is 00521482.

The products are marked with establishment number P-18356, P-18356B or P-47971 inside the USDA mark of inspection on the package.

The USDA website has a full list of the specific lot codes of the products involved. Some were also available in Canada and Mexico.

Neither the first nor the expanded second recall notices from the FDA and FSIS explained how glass got into the carrots in the first place.

Right now, millions of Americans may have these products sitting in their freezers, unaware that they’re putting themselves at risk of choking — or worse, internal injuries and bleeding.

Swallowing glass fragments poses a serious health risk that can be life-threatening. Glass is sharp, rigid, and won’t dissolve in the stomach.

Depending on their size and shape, these fragments can slice through soft tissue as they move through the digestive tract.

Larger or sharper pieces can become lodged, tearing the stomach lining or puncturing the intestinal wall.

This can lead to peritonitis, a dangerous abdominal infection that requires emergency surgery. In rare cases, glass can also cut blood vessels, causing severe internal bleeding.

The glass shards found in the packages ranged in size from one centimeter, about the length of a standard aspirin tablet or a small bean, and three centimeters, about the length of a standard paperclip or the width of a adult thumb.

The products were sent to stores in Alaska, Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Mississippi, Montana, North Carolina, North Dakota, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Nevada, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin and Wyoming.