Trader Joe’s recalls 3 packaged foods in a week—2 because of rocks

Trader Joe’s recalled three food products in as many days, including two items that contained rocks.

Most recently, the specialty grocer on Friday issued a recall of its Fully Cooked Falafel because the heat-and-eat product may contain rocks. The product was sold in about three dozen states and has been removed from stores and destroyed, Trader Joe’s said.

The day before, Trader Joe’s pulled its Unexpected Broccoli Cheddar Soup from refrigerated cases after being alerted by its supplier that the soup may contain insects. “No known adverse health effects have been reported to date, and all potentially affected product has been removed from sale and destroyed,” the Monrovia, California-based grocer said on its website.

And last Tuesday, Trader Joe’s announced the recall of two sweet treats—Almond Windmill Cookies and Chocolate Chunk and Almond Cookies—because they, too, may contain rocks. “Please do not eat them,” Trader Joe’s noted.

Trader Joe’s did not respond to a WGB request to comment on the recent spate of product recalls. The retailer typically announces one or two recalls per month, or less.

“We have a close relationship with our vendors,” Trader Joe’s said on the “Food Safety Overview” section of its website. “We err on the side of caution and are proactive in addressing issues. We voluntarily take action quickly, aggressively investigating potential problems and removing the product from sale if there is any doubt about its safety or quality.”

The grocer, which operates more than 500 stores around the country, said it goes “well beyond regulatory requirements” in announcing product recalls, broadcasting the news through in-store signs, email alerts and the company’s website.

“With more than five decades of experience working directly with the producers of our products, we stand by our proactive practices and continually improve our food safety processes,” Trader Joe’s said.