Believe me, the thought of throwing away unused Trader Joe’s products breaks my heart. But if you’ve purchased some of the chains’s frozen chicken patties in the past few months, you might need to dispose of them ASAP. The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced Wednesday that Innovative Solutions, Inc. is recalling approximately 97,887 pounds of raw ground chicken patty products, some of which were sold at Trader Joe’s and other retail locations nationwide. Here’s what to know about the recall and whether you need to toss your frozen goods.
What Trader Joe’s products do you need to toss?
The Trader Joe’s items affected by the recall are two frozen chicken products: Chile Lime Chicken Burgers and Spinach Feta Chicken Sliders, some of which were sold at other grocery stores as well. Both items were shipped nationwide.
Check your products for the establishment number “EST. P-8276” printed near the USDA mark of inspection. To see all the product codes with possible contaminations, check out the full FSIS press release.
What’s wrong with the chicken burgers?
The two Trader Joe’s chicken burger products have been recalled because they may contain “extraneous materials, specifically pieces of bone,” according to the FSIS. While there have been no confirmed reports of injury or illness, the FSIS urges consumers to throw away or return the products. Anyone concerned about an injury or illness should contact a healthcare provider.
Check the bottom of your freezer
The FSIS is concerned that some products may be buried in your freezers from several months ago. The contaminated chicken patty products were produced on various dates from Aug. 16 to Sept. 29, 2021, so if there’s any chance you’ve been holding onto frozen patties since those dates, FSIS urges you to get rid of them. Better safe than sorry.
When can I get my TJ’s chicken patty fix again?
The report doesn’t indicate that patties produced outside the Aug. 16 to Sept. 29 timeline are dangerous. As the FSIS lays out in their announcement, the department routinely conducts recall effectiveness checks to ensure consumer safety. For peace of mind about your frozen goods, check for updates and full recall details on the FSIS website at www.fsis.usda.gov/recalls.