WASHINGTON — Trader Joe's is recalling frozen falafel sold in more than 30 states because it may contain rocks.
It's the second time in a week that the grocery chain has announced a recall related to rocks in food. It comes one day after it issued a recall for a broccoli cheddar soup that may contain insects.
According to the retailer, it was alerted to the issue by the supplier of its Trader Joe's Fully Cooked Falafel.
The recall specifically includes the frozen falafel product sold in Alabama, Alaska, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, North Carolina, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Vermont, Wisconsin and Washington, D.C.
Anyone who purchased or received the Trader Joe's Fully Cooked Falafel (SKU#93935) is urged to throw it out or return it to any Trader Joe's for a full refund.
Last Friday, the grocery chain announced it was recalling two cookie products because they may contain rocks. That recall impacts Trader Joe’s Almond Windmill Cookies and Trader Joe’s Dark Chocolate Chunk and Almond Cookies with "sell by" dates ranging from October 17, 2023 to October 21, 2023. Lot codes for the recalled cookies and customer service contact information can be found on Trader Joe's website.
In a response to a request for comment, Trader Joe's said the close timing of the two situations was "coincidental."
"While there are aspects of our product supply chain beyond our direct control, we will never leave to chance the safety of the products we offer. In this case, there was a different issue in the each of the manufacturing processes," Public Relations Manager Nakia Rohde said. "We don’t take any chance when it comes to product safety and quality. We err on the side of caution and are proactive in addressing issues. We voluntarily take action quickly and aggressively—investigating potential problems and removing a product from sale if there is any doubt about its safety or quality."
On Thursday, Trader Joe's issued a recall on its "Unexpected Broccoli Cheddar Soup" after discovering it could potentially contain insects. More than 10,000 cases of the 20-ounce product are being recalled, according to the FDA report. The soups were distributed in Florida, California, Texas, Washington, Pennsylvania, Connecticut and Illinois.
The Monrovia, California-based chain is privately held by the families that also own Aldi Nord, a German grocer. Trader Joe’s operates around 530 stores in the U.S.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
