The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued a recall for a frozen tropical fruit blend sold at Trader Joe’s in multiple U.S. states and frozen organic strawberries sold to various grocery stores due to the risk of Hepatitis A illnesses.[0] The FDA also issued a public health alert for a Trader Joe’s ready-to-eat chicken salad product due to misbranding and an undeclared allergen.
On March 16, 2023, the FDA issued a recall notice which detailed the affected lots of strawberries that were sold at Costco stores in Los Angeles, San Diego, and Hawaii. A total of thirteen lots of Kirkland Signature Frozen Organic Strawberries (4-pound packages) have been recalled. Customers can find the lot numbers on the back of the package. The recalled brands include Aldi’s Simply Nature, Costco’s Kirkland Signature, KeHE, Vital Choise Seafood, and PCC Community Markets.[1]
The FSIS, a branch of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, also issued a public health alert for a Trader Joe’s ready-to-eat chicken salad product that may contain cashews, a known allergen that was not declared on the product label. The 12-oz.[2] clear plastic trays of “TRADER JOE’S Wine Country WHITE CHICKEN SALAD WITH Cranberries & Pecans” have the establishment number “P-34834″ inside the USDA mark of inspection and were shipped to retail locations in Idaho, Oregon, and Washington.[3]
The Trader Joe’s recalled product is their store-brand frozen Organic Tropical Fruit Blend with best by dates of 04/25/24, 05/12/24, 05/23/24, 05/30/24, and 06/07/24.[4] The company has already destroyed all of the products that were potentially contaminated, but urged any customers who purchased the frozen fruit blend to refrain from consuming it and either discard the product or return it to a store for a full refund.[5]
Meanwhile, Costco customers in two states are advised to avoid the warehouse club’s house brand Kirkland Signature Frozen Organic Strawberries.[5] California Splendor, Inc. is recalling certain lots of 4-lb.[6] bags of the frozen fruit due to an outbreak of Hepatitis A illnesses.[7]
0. “Hepatitis A Risk Prompts Fruit Recall At Trader Joes, Other Stores” Patch.com, 17 Mar. 2023, https://patch.com/us/across-america/hepatitis-risk-prompts-fruit-recall-trader-joes-other-stores
1. “Strawberries recalled over possible health risk” FOX 59 Indianapolis, 17 Mar. 2023, https://fox59.com/news/consumer-reports/strawberries-recalled-over-possible-health-risk
2. “FSIS Issues Public Health Alert for Trader Joe’s Chicken Salad Due to Misbranding and an Undeclared Allergen” PerishableNews, 13 Mar. 2023, https://www.perishablenews.com/deli/fsis-issues-public-health-alert-for-trader-joes-chicken-salad-due-to-misbranding-and-an-undeclared-allergen
3. “Public health alert for Trader Joe’s chicken salad” MEAT+POULTRY, 14 Mar. 2023, https://www.meatpoultry.com/articles/28151-public-health-alert-for-trader-joes-chicken-salad
4. “Trader Joe’s fruit product recalled, potentially contaminated with Hepatitis A” Yahoo News, 17 Mar. 2023, https://news.yahoo.com/trader-joe-fruit-product-recalled-145343917.html
5. “Costco & Trader Joe’s Are Recalling Frozen Fruit” Eat This, Not That, 17 Mar. 2023, https://www.eatthis.com/costco-trader-joes-frozen-fruit-recall-2023/
6. “California Splendor, Inc. Recalls Kirkland Brand Bags of Frozen Organic Whole Strawberries Distributed by Costco in Los Angeles, Hawaii, and in Two San Diego Business Centers Because of Possible Health Risk” KIRO Seattle, 16 Mar. 2023, https://www.kiro7.com/news/recalls/california-splendor/KPKCLEFNSY6ISF5N2F5RYFAOOE
7. “Company recalls some frozen fruits due to possible Hepatitis A contamination” WGRZ.com, 17 Mar. 2023, https://www.wgrz.com/article/money/personal-finance/recalls/company-recalls-organic-tropical-fruit-blend-due-to-possible-hepatitis-a-contamination-fda-health-alert/71-7a3fdd41-2430-4178-97b1-2e1a68ffb034