Why the broken glass frozen food recall affecting Trader Joe’s is massive
A frozen food recall due to possible glass contamination is affecting nearly 37 million pounds of food, including four Trader Joe’s products
‘Broken glass in food’ is not something you want to hear about.
Yet it’s the reason why food manufacturer and distributor Ajinomoto Foods — following four consumer complaints to the U.S. Department of Agriculture — recalled nearly 37 million pounds of frozen food, including four Trader Joe’s products: Vegetable Fried Rice, Chicken Shu Mai, Japanese Style Fried Rice and Chicken Fried Rice.
In a question-and-answer interview with Northeastern Global News, Northeastern University associate teaching professor and food policy safety expert Darin Detwiler explained how glass can get into food during the manufacturing process, why the scale of the recall is so huge and how to check for recalled foods in your freezer.
How can glass get into frozen foods during the manufacturing or packaging process?
Food production facilities contain many pieces of equipment and fixtures, including light bulbs, glass viewing panels, gauges and thermometer covers. If any of these items break during production, small fragments can enter the processing environment.
Another possible source is ingredient contamination. Large food manufacturers often rely on suppliers for ingredients such as sauces, vegetables or seasonings. If glass breakage occurred during processing at the supplier level, fragments could potentially enter the ingredient stream before reaching the manufacturer.
Is glass contamination in food a common manufacturing problem?
Although glass contamination receives significant public attention, it is relatively rare in modern food manufacturing. Most food facilities operate under strict foreign material control programs that track and monitor any glass or brittle plastic present in the facility.
However, when glass is suspected, recalls tend to be large because fragments are difficult to detect visually, and companies must err on the side of caution
Why is the scale of the recall so big, affecting so many millions of pounds of food?
It reflects how modern food manufacturing works.
Frozen foods are produced in extremely large volumes, often in tens of thousands of units per hour. If a contaminated batch or production incident is discovered, companies typically recall all products produced during the potentially affected time window.
This precaution helps ensure that no contaminated items remain in the marketplace even if only a small portion of the total production might actually contain fragments.
Recalled products were also labeled under the names Kroger, Ling Ling and Tai Pei. Why did the recall affect different labels?
Frozen meal facilities frequently produce several different menu items on the same line. The recall can affect multiple products when those items share common ingredients or production lines.
Editor’s Picks
For example, the same cooked chicken component may be used across multiple recipes, such as chicken fried rice, chicken bowls or chicken pasta dishes. If that shared ingredient is potentially contaminated, all products containing it may be included in the recall.
No injuries have been associated with the recalled foods. What is the biggest danger of accidentally eating broken glass?
Sharp fragments can cut the lips, tongue or gums. The fragments may chip or break teeth, and in rare cases they could cause injuries to the throat or digestive tract. Larger fragments can also present a choking hazard.
Because these fragments can be difficult to see while eating, regulators treat even the possibility of glass contamination as a serious safety concern.
What should I do about prepared food in my freezer?
The safest course of action is to check the recall notice for the specific product names, lot codes and best-by dates. The USDA also has a site showing affected food labels. If you find a recalled product in your freezer, you should either return it to the store for a refund or dispose of it in the trash. Retailers, including Trader Joe’s, typically provide refunds even if the product packaging has already been discarded.
