Trader Joe's Is Recalling a Popular Frozen Meal Due to 'Foreign Material'
Roughly five months after Trader Joe's made national headlines for a spate of major food recalls, the retailer is once again pulling a popular item from its shelves.
Trader Joe's just announced a recall for its Chicken, Lentil & Caramelized Onion Pilaf on Feb. 2. The reason? The retailer said that the frozen meal may contain "foreign material."
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The recall for the Chicken, Lentil & Caramelized Onion Pilaf was announced just a couple of weeks after the item first debuted at Trader Joe's in early January 2024. The product takes inspiration from a traditional Persian lentil rice dish called adas polo. Trader Joe's heat-and-serve version features basmati rice, green lentils, diced caramelized onions, dark meat chicken, golden raisins, and dates. It's also spiced with an aromatic mix of salt, pepper, cinnamon, cumin, and saffron.
"The end result is an unforgettably delicious and astonishingly easy meal that you can take from freezer to table in mere minutes," Trader Joe's wrote in the product description.
While the item has only been available at Trader Joe's for a short time, it's already been garnering some buzz among the retailer's fans. However, the new recall means that those who haven't had the chance to try it yet will have to keep waiting for the time being.
Trader Joe's did not say what type of foreign material may be present in the frozen dish. But, based on the retailer's history of food recalls, the term could apply to a wide range of undesirable objects.
In August 2023, for example, Trader Joe's recalled its Multigrain Crackers with Sunflower and Flax Seeds because they may have contained metal. Trader Joe's referred to the metal as a "foreign material" in its recall notice.
Trader Joe's issued several other foreign material recalls between July 2023 through August 2023, including for falafel that may have contained rocks, Unexpected Broccoli Cheddar Soup that may have contained insects, and two types of cookies that may have also contained rocks.
A customer took to Reddit in late January 2024 to report finding a rock inside a bag of the Chicken, Lentil & Caramelized Onion Pilaf. However, without confirmation from Trader Joe's, it remains unclear if the current recall is linked to that discovery.
Trader Joe's urged anyone who purchased the frozen item to discard it immediately or return it to one of its stores for a full refund. Customers with additional questions can contact Trader Joe's by phone at (626) 599-3817 or submit a query through the company's website.
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