Trader Joe’s among 3.37 million pounds of frozen fried rice recalled

Ajinomoto Foods North America has voluntarily recalled approximately 3,370,530 pounds of frozen, not-ready-to-eat chicken fried rice after four customers reported finding fragments of glass in packaged products, federal food-safety officials said. The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service posted the recall on Feb. 19.

The recall affects two product lines stamped with establishment number P-18356 inside the USDA mark of inspection. Trader Joe’s Chicken Fried Rice, sold in 20-ounce plastic bags across the United States, carries best-by dates from Sept. 8 through Nov. 17, 2026. Ajinomoto Yakitori Chicken With Japanese-Style Fried Rice, sold as a cardboard six-pack only in Canada, has best-by dates from Sept. 9 through Nov. 12, 2026.

Ajinomoto notified FSIS after receiving four consumer complaints alleging glass in the packages. No injuries or illnesses have been reported in connection with the recall, officials said. Company notices advise consumers not to eat the products and to either discard them or return them to the place of purchase for a refund. Anyone who has eaten the products and is concerned about their health should contact a healthcare provider.

The Trader Joe’s product contains fried rice, vegetables, chicken meat and eggs and was pulled from stores nationwide by the manufacturer, according to company notices. The Ajinomoto-branded six-pack was distributed only in Canada. Beyond the best-by dates and the establishment number, the recall notices did not list lot codes or UPCs in the summary materials provided to media.

The size of the recall is notable: more than 3.3 million pounds of frozen food ties up large volumes of retail inventory and raises immediate questions about where in the production chain the glass entered the products. Ajinomoto has not released a detailed root-cause explanation in the notices shared with regulators, and the FSIS posting contains the company’s consumer contact information for inquiries.

Consumers who believe they have affected product in their freezers can contact Ajinomoto Foods North America consumer affairs at 855-742-5011 or by email at customercare@ajinomotofoods.com to arrange returns or refunds. Retailers typically accept returns on recalled food items even without receipts, and federal guidance stresses that disposal is an acceptable option for consumers who prefer not to return a product.

Food-safety experts caution that foreign-matter contamination, including glass, represents a physical hazard that can cause cuts or internal injury if ingested. Because the recall follows consumer reports rather than a systematic testing program, public health officials will monitor any follow-up reports of injury while Ajinomoto and FSIS determine how the contamination occurred.

For now, the immediate public-health advice is simple and urgent: check your freezer, look for Trader Joe’s Chicken Fried Rice with best-by dates Sept. 8 through Nov. 17, 2026, or Ajinomoto Yakitori Chicken With Japanese-Style Fried Rice six-packs with best-by dates Sept. 9 through Nov. 12, 2026, and do not consume those packages.