Trader Joe’s recalls fan favourite product over concerns it may contain hard plastic

Trader Joe’s has recalled more than 60,000lb of its famed chicken soup dumplings over concerns it may contain hard plastic. However, shoppers say that won’t stop them from eating the beloved Trader Joe’s signature item.

In a statement shared to Trader Joe’s website on 2 March, the American grocery store chain announced that its “Steamed Chicken Soup Dumplings” were being recalled “due to the potential presence of foreign material”. Trader Joe’s informed customers that products with the “best by” date of 7 March 2025 and lot codes C1-1 or C1-2 may be impacted by the recall.

The US Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) further noted that the chicken soup dumplings, which are produced by the California-based CJ Foods Manufacturing Beaumont Corp, may have been specifically contaminated with hard plastic from a permanent marker pen. The soup dumplings affected by the recall were produced on 7 December 2023.

The recall comes after consumers reported they had found hard plastic in Trader Joe’s steamed chicken soup dumplings. There have been no confirmed reports of illnesses or injuries due to consumption of the product, as Trader Joe’s urged customers to discard the steamed chicken soup dumplings or return it to any chain grocery store for a full refund.

Following news that the signature Trader Joe’s product was being recalled over concerns it may contain hard plastic, loyal shoppers instantly took to social media to share their dismay over the recall. In a video posted to TikTok by user @traderjolene, many viewers expressed their shock that the beloved chicken soup dumplings have been recalled.

“The way I just ate like three packs yesterday,” one TikTok user commented under the video.

“I just ate these,” another person said, while someone else wrote: “I just bought ten yesterday, that’s what I get for hoarding.”

Despite the recall, some shoppers still maintained their love for the chicken soup dumplings, like one person who said: “The emotional stability I get from these is worth a little Sharpie and plastic.”

“I’m still eating it,” another TikToker wrote.

While many people wondered whether the Trader Joe’s “Steamed Pork and Ginger Soup Dumplings” were also impacted by the recall – such as one person who asked: “Pork and ginger still good tho???” – the grocery store chain has not issued any further announcements regarding the product.

This marks the second recall for Trader Joe’s products this year alone. In February, the US Food and Drug Administration issued a recall for dairy products made by food manufacturer Rizo-López Foods, Inc, due to an outbreak of listeria.

Multiple Trader Joe’s items containing cotija cheese were impacted by the recall, such as its Chicken Enchiladas Verde, Cilantro Salad Dressing, and Elote Chopped Salad Kit.