A sweeping food recall has been issued across the United States after millions of pounds of frozen meals were found to potentially contain glass fragments. The withdrawal affects multiple brands and products distributed nationwide.
U.S. regulators say the affected items were produced by Ajinomoto Foods North America and sold through major retailers, including Trader Joe’s. The action expands an earlier recall and now covers nearly 37 million pounds of frozen foods.
Food recalls on this scale are rare and often signal a complex supply-chain issue rather than a single isolated defect. In this case, federal regulators say the contamination likely originated from a vegetable ingredient used across numerous products.
The recall spans items produced over more than a year and includes ready-to-eat meals that many households keep stocked in freezers. While no injuries have been reported so far, officials say consumers should still check their products carefully.
Nationwide Recall Expands to Dozens of Frozen Products
The safety alert was announced after Ajinomoto Foods North America expanded a previous action involving frozen chicken fried rice sold at Trader Joe’s. The company had initially recalled about 3.4 million pounds of product in February, but the investigation later revealed that the potential contamination could affect a far wider range of foods.
The updated recall now includes nearly 37 million pounds of frozen items manufactured between October 2024 and February 2026. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), the affected products include chicken fried rice, pork fried rice, ramen, and shu mai dumplings.
Sixteen different products are involved in the public safety notice and were distributed under several brand names. Those brands include Ajinomoto, Kroger, Ling Ling, Tai Pei, and Trader Joe’s. The items were shipped to retail locations across the United States. Some Ajinomoto products were also exported internationally, reaching markets in Canada and Mexico.
Consumers may still have the products in their freezers because the best-by dates stretch far into the future. According to the USDA notice, the dates range from February 28, 2026, to August 19, 2027. Food safety officials have advised customers to check packaging labels carefully and discard any recalled items rather than consuming them.
Investigation Points to Contaminated Vegetable Ingredient
The recall was triggered after consumers reported discovering glass fragments in certain frozen meals. These complaints prompted regulators to examine the manufacturing process and identify the possible source.
Investigators eventually traced the problem to a vegetable ingredient used in the meals. According to the USDA, carrots supplied to the manufacturer were identified as the most likely origin of the glass contamination.
Because the ingredient was used across multiple products and brands, the contamination risk extended beyond the items first recalled. This led to the broader safety withdrawal covering dozens of additional products.
Despite the scale of the recall, officials say no injuries linked to the contaminated meals have been reported so far. The USDA noted that the recall was issued as a precaution to prevent potential harm to consumers.
