Trader Joe's Soup Dumpling Recall: The Contamination Risk You Should Know
If soup dumplings from Trader Joe's have been in your shopping rotation, you should take a close look at that box in the freezer as soon as possible. Six-ounce packages of steamed chicken soup dumplings have been recalled due to possible plastic contamination, Trader Joe's announced. These are the frozen dumplings that come six in a box and are housed in a plastic steamer tray. In the dumplings themselves, consumers have found pieces of hard plastic that originated from a permanent marker.
The company that produces them — CJ Foods Manufacturing Beaumont Corporation — specified that the contaminated batch was made on December 7, 2023, and shipped across the United States. They can be identified via the best-by date followed by the lot code. Look for number sequences 03.07.25.C1-1 and 03.07.25.C1-2 stamped on the side of the package. The best buy date will read, "03.07.25" — in other words, March 7, 2025.
At the time of publicaton, no one has gotten hurt or sick from the permanent marker dumplings. However, if you find you have bought one of the affected boxes, you should definitely toss it or take it back to any Trader Joe's store for a full refund.
Have there been other recent foreign object recalls at Trader Joe's?
Trader Joe's is basically royalty in the frozen foods market, but that does not make them immune from recalls and contamination. Unfortunately, this is not the first time something that was not supposed to be there ended up in a Trader Joe's product. In July 2023, the almond windmill as well as dark chocolate chunk and almond varieties of Trader Joe's cookies were under recall because of rocks.
Another frozen food favorite met the same fate when rocks were found inside Trader Joe's recalled falafel. More recently, the chicken, lentil, and caramelized onion pilaf found in the freezer section was recalled due to the discovery of unspecified foreign materials in February 2024. It was speculated that rocks were also the culprit here, but TJ's did not confirm that on its website.
If you have any questions about the steamed chicken soup dumpling recall or any past food safety announcements, you can contact Trader Joe's customer relations at (626) 599-3817 or through its online Product Feedback contact form. The USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline is another good resource and can be reached at (888) 674-6854 or via email at MPHotline@usda.gov.