Business
Trader Joe’s pulls over 61k lbs of chicken dumplings amid plastic contamination fears
By Jake Beardslee · March 4, 2024
In brief…
- Trader Joe's recalled over 61,000 lbs of chicken soup dumplings potentially contaminated with hard plastic pieces
- Recalled dumplings produced on Dec 7, 2023 by CJ Foods Manufacturing Beaumont Corp.
- No illnesses reported, but consumers urged to return or discard affected products
- Foreign object contamination a major cause of U.S. food recalls
Popular grocery chain Trader Joe’s is recalling thousands of pounds of its Steamed Chicken Soup Dumplings due to potential contamination with hard plastic pieces. The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced the recall on Saturday, stating that the dumplings are potentially contaminated with foreign materials — “specifically hard plastic from a permanent marker pen,” according to The Associated Press.
The recall applies to over 61,000 pounds of the 6-ounce “Trader Joe’s Steamed Chicken Soup Dumplings” produced on December 7, 2023 by California-based CJ Foods Manufacturing Beaumont Corp. The affected products can be identified by their side box labels with lot codes “03.07.25.C1-1” and “03.07.25.C1-2.”
Although no illnesses or injuries have been reported so far, the FSIS advised consumers to check their freezers and either return or dispose of any affected products. Trader Joe’s has also released an online statement, requesting that customers either discard the contaminated dumplings or bring them back to any store for a complete refund.
In a statement to the Associated Press, a CJ Foods spokesperson said, “customer safety remains our No. 1 priority,” and confirmed the company is looking into the issue.
Foreign object contamination, such as plastic, metal, or insect parts, remains one of the top reasons for food recalls in the U.S. The FSIS notes that “extraneous” materials prompting recalls can make their way into packaged goods during production.