More than 60,000 pounds of chicken dumplings have been recalled by the grocery store chain Trader Joe’s after it was discovered they might have been contaminated by plastic.
The recall was announced on Saturday by the California-based company. It includes 61,839 pounds of frozen Steamed Chicken Soup Dumplings Trader Joe’s ordered from the company CJ Foods Manufacturing Beaumont Corp.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service said in a news release that the dumplings might have been contaminated by plastic from a marker.
Trader Joe’s shared a statement instructing its customers how to find out if they might have some of the recalled dumplings in their homes.
The company said:
“We are recalling Trader Joe’s Steamed Chicken Soup Dumplings (SKU# 54988) with the best by date 03.07.25 and lot code C1-1 or C1-2 due to the potential presence of foreign material (plastic).
“No illnesses or injuries have been reported to date. If you purchased Steamed Chicken Soup Dumplings with the best by date 03.07.25 and lot code C1-1 or C1-2, please discard the product or return it to any Trader Joe’s for a full refund.”
According to the FSIS, products that are under recall will also have the number “P-46009” inside the USDA inspection mark.
The FSIS added that the recall was triggered when numerous Trader Joe’s customers reported bits of plastic in their dumplings.
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The food was made in Beaumont, California, by CJ Foods, but it is unclear exactly how the plastic shards might have ended up in the dumplings before they were packaged and shipped.
All of the food under recall was produced on Dec. 7 of last year.
The FSIS said it suspects many purchasers are unaware they have the recalled food in their kitchens.
“Consumers who have purchased these products are urged not to consume them,” the FSIS said. “These products should be thrown away or returned to the place of purchase.”
The USDA also posted images of the packing of the affected product on its website to help consumers identify if their freezers are stocked with potentially hazardous food.
A representative of CJ Foods told The Associated Press there is currently an investigation into what went wrong.
In a statement via email, the representative added “Customer safety remains our No. 1 priority.”
Trader Joe’s was founded in 1967 in California. It now operates hundreds of stores in 43 states.
