Trader Joe’s Products Recalled: Full List of Items Impacted
There have been four major recalls of food products at sold in Trader Joe’s over the past four months, with one having been rescinded, according to the U.S. Food & Drug Association (FDA).
Trader Joe’s is a nationwide grocery chain, and according to Statista, is used by 18 percent of grocery store consumers across the U.S. Some of the store’s recent products have been recalled because of potential contamination of bacteria like listeria monocytogenes and E. coli, which can cause serious infections.
A Trader Joe’s sign at a Trader Joe’s store on September 16, 2024, in Los Angeles.
Mario Tama/Getty Images
In an email shared with Newsweek, a spokesperson for Trader Joe’s said: “At Trader Joe’s, nothing is more important than the health and safety of our customers and Crew Members. With this in mind, we do the daily work to make certain our products meet our stringent food safety expectations. We don’t take any chances when it comes to product safety and quality.
“We have a close relationship with our vendors. We err on the side of caution and are proactive in addressing issues. 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.
“We value information and clear communication. Should a recall become necessary, we waste no time in providing our customers details. Our recall-related communications go well beyond regulatory requirements: we share news through in-store signs, on our website, and through email alerts,” the spokesperson added.
“With more than five decades of experience working directly with the producers of our products, we stand by our proactive practices and continually improve our food safety processes. We take these matters seriously—personally, even, as our families eat and drink TJ’s products, too.”
Tuna
On Friday, Tri-Union Seafoods announced a voluntary recall of canned tuna products that were distributed at Trader Joe’s.
The recall was initiated after its supplier noticed a manufacturing defect in the tuna can’s “easy open” lids, a defect that could “compromise the integrity of the product seal [especially over time], causing it to leak, or worse, be contaminated with clostridium botulinum,” bacteria that causes foodborne botulism and can in some cases be fatal.
The product was recalled in the following states: Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Washington, D.C., and Wisconsin.
Newsweek has reached out to Tri-Union Seafoods via email for comment.
Carrots
On November 16, 2024, Grimmway Farms recalled some of its organic whole and baby carrots, affecting 19 brands across the U.S., Puerto Rico and Canada, including Trader Joe’s.
The recall was because of concerns they were contaminated with E. coli, a bacteria that can cause serious, and in some cases fatal, infections in young children, elderly people and those with a weakened immune system.
There was an outbreak of E. coli infections linked to organic whole and baby carrots supplied by Grimmway Farms, according to the FDA. After the FDA and Centers for Disease Prevention and Control (CDC) investigated the multistate outbreak of E. coli infections, it was found that there were 48 illnesses in 19 states and one reported death. The report said that 20 of 47 were hospitalized and one developed hemolytic uremic syndrome, which can cause kidney failure.
Grimmway Farms told Newsweek in a statement: “The FDA issued an update last month stating that the outbreak has ended and the closure of FDA’s investigation. No product ever tested positive and, despite extensive swabbing during inspection, no positive results related to the outbreak strain were found at the facility.”
According to the CDC, the outbreak was over as of December 18, 2024,
Waffles
On October 22, 2024, TreeHouse Foods announced the expansion of a recall of its products to include the frozen toaster waffle, Belgian waffle and pancake products, affecting three Trader Joe’s products: Blueberry Waffles, the Gluten-Free Toaster Waffles and the Pumpkin Waffles.
The waffles were recalled because of potential contamination with listeria, which can cause a serious infection known as listeriosis.
TreeHouse Foods told Newsweek in a statement: “We have no confirmed reports of illness or injury linked to the recalled products. As of January 2025, the Brantford facility has undergone a hygienic restoration and is once again producing griddle products for our customers.”
Listeria infection is the third-leading cause of death from foodborne illness in the U.S., with about 1,600 infections and 260 deaths across the country every year, according to the CDC.
The specific states affected by the recall were not shared in the FDA’s press release.
Meat and Poultry
On October 9, 2024, Oklahoma-based BrucePac recalled about 11 million pounds of ready-to-eat meat and poultry products that were believed to have potentially been contaminated with listeria, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced.
In an email shared with Newsweek, Trader Joe’s said: “On October 9, 2024, BrucePac, one of our chicken suppliers, initiated a recall of certain poultry products due to potential Listeria contamination. In response, we voluntarily recalled a limited amount of our products as a precautionary measure. On October 15, 2024 BrucePac expanded the scope of their recall and out of an abundance of caution, we have followed suit by recalling an additional number of our products. Although all of our certificates of analysis have returned negative for Listeria, we advise consumers who purchased any potentially affected products to return them for a full refund.”
The nationwide recall affected Trader Joe’s products including the White Meat Chicken Salad, Harvest Salad With Grilled Chicken, Pacific Salad With Chicken, Chicken Enchiladas Verde and Curried White Chicken Deli Salad.
Green Onions
On October 18, 2024, Trader Joe’s, along with three other brands, recalled green onions that came from Church Brothers Farms because they were potentially contaminated with salmonella, according to the FDA.
However, on November 25, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) announced that a laboratory error incorrectly caused the recall concerning Church Brothers Farms’ green onions. It was confirmed that the products from Church Brothers did not contain salmonella and the recall was rescinded.
In a press release shared by the FDA, Megan Chedwick, vice president of food safety, quality & regulatory compliance at Church Brothers Farms, said: “The safety of our products is Church Brothers’ highest priority, and we pride ourselves with having the utmost integrity when it comes to Food Safety Standards.
“While we were pleased to hear that our product did not contain the Salmonella isolate, we will always act with an abundance of caution when it comes to the health and well-being of our consumers.”
Salmonella can cause serious, and sometimes fatal, infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems. A healthy person infected with salmonella may experience fever, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain.
In total, 1,271 cases of green onions were recalled.
States initially affected by the update included Alabama, California, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, New York, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee and Virginia.
Update 02/12/25, 7 a.m. ET: This article has been updated with comment from a Trader Joe’s spokesperson.
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