Trader Joe's Cashews Are Being Recalled Over Salmonella
Trader Joe's is subject to yet another food recall, and this time, cashews are on the chopping block. The specific product in question is Trader Joe's 50% Less Salt Roasted & Salted Whole Cashews, which are found packaged in clear plastic pouches in one-pound portions. The supplier, Wenders LLC, announced the recall on March 17 due to possible salmonella contamination.
Affected batches can be identified by the country of origin — India or Vietnam — lot number, and Best Before date. If you've purchased these cashews, check the back of the package for a stamp printed in black ink that specifies one of the following four number and date combinations: Lot No: T12139 — Best Before February 21, 2025; Lot No: T12140 — Best Before March 01, 2025; Lot No: T12141 — Best Before March 08, 2025; or Lot No: T12142 — Best Before March 10, 2025.
These cashews were not sold nationwide. You can check the announcement for details on which states had stores that sold the product. Additionally, you can reach out to Trader Joe's Customer Relations at (626) 599-3817, or send an email via the company's Product Feedback form.
Can salmonella make you sick?
Salmonella can be very serious, especially for children, the elderly, and those who are immunocompromised. For otherwise healthy individuals, this bacteria can cause "fever, diarrhea (which may be bloody), nausea, vomiting[,] and abdominal pain," according to the FDA. More serious and rare reactions can include "arterial infections (i.e., infected aneurysms), endocarditis[,] and arthritis." However, occasionally some people may not show symptoms at all — or if they do, the symptoms tend to resolve on their own within a week.
Fortunately, there have been no reports of illnesses associated with the contaminated cashews at time of publication. However, it is always best to err on the side of caution. If you find that you have purchased a bag of these cashews, you should discard it or return it to any Trader Joe's store for a full refund.
Trader Joe's has experienced a number of recalls in recent months. There was a recall of Trader Joe's soup dumplings due to possible plastic contamination in March 2024. Rocks were found in recalled frozen falafel in July 2023, and TJ's recalled over 10,000 cases of insect-infested broccoli cheddar soup in the same month. While recalls related to foreign objects and pathogens are quite common across many supermarkets and food producers, they still represent an inconvenient and potentially life-threatening issue for this cult-favorite grocery store.