A popular frozen chicken fried rice sold at Trader Joe’s is being recalled nationwide after reports that it may contain pieces of glass. Ouch.
The recall affects roughly 3.4 million pounds of frozen, not-ready-to-eat chicken fried rice products made by Ajinomoto Foods North America, according to a notice from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS). The products were produced between early September and mid-November 2025.
Here’s what shoppers need to know.
What’s the Issue?
The USDA says the products may be contaminated with foreign material — specifically, glass. The company notified federal officials after four customers reported finding glass in their food.
So far, no injuries have been reported. Still, this isn’t exactly the kind of “extra crunch” anyone signed up for. (Our preference is water chestnuts.)
Which Products Are Affected?
The recall includes frozen chicken fried rice shipped to Trader Joe’s stores across the U.S. The affected Trader Joe’s item comes in a 20-ounce bag and contains stir-fried rice, vegetables, chicken, and eggs. Ajinomoto is also recalling products exported to Canada. Those are sold in cardboard packages containing six bags labeled “yakitori chicken with Japanese-style fried rice,” with best-by dates ranging from Sept. 9 through Nov. 12.
If you have frozen chicken fried rice from Trader Joe’s sitting in your freezer and it was purchased in recent months, it’s worth double-checking the packaging and production dates.
What Should You Do?
Federal officials are advising consumers not to eat the recalled product. If you have it, toss it or return it to the place of purchase for a refund. As always with recalls involving potential foreign objects, err on the side of caution. A freezer clean-out is annoying. A trip to the ER is worse. For updates or additional details, consumers can check the USDA FSIS website for the official recall notice.
