Trader Joe’s, the popular grocery chain, has recalled two of its cookie products after discovering they might contain rocks, the company announced on Friday.
The affected products are Trader Joe’s Almond Windmill Cookies with a sell-by date between Oct. 19 and 21, and its Dark Chocolate Chunk and Almond Cookies with sell-by dates from Oct. 17 through 21.
“The supplier of these cookies alerted us that these products may contain a foreign material, rocks, and we have removed all potentially affected products from sale and destroyed them,” Trader Joe’s said in a statement on its website.
The statement urged customers who bought the cookies to not eat them, and to visit a store for a full refund. No illnesses or injuries have been reported from the consumption of the cookies, the company said.
Trader Joe’s representatives declined to offer further detail about the recall beyond the published statement.
The recall comes amid a series of food safety issues involving various products and companies. Earlier this month, Mondelez Global LLC recalled two varieties of belVita Breakfast Sandwich biscuits over possible undeclared peanut contamination. In June, Tyson Foods recalled nearly 8.5 million pounds of frozen chicken products over possible listeria contamination.
Rocks are not a common contaminant in food products, but they can pose a serious health risk if ingested. According to SafeFood360, a food safety software company, rocks or pebbles are more likely to contaminate food products during harvest season, when raw materials from fields, such as nuts, fruits and vegetables, are collected.
“Rock contamination is most common in items that use raw material from fields, such as nuts, fruits, and vegetables, the food safety company explained on its website. “These items are often harvested using machinery that can pick up stones along with the crop.”
The company advised food manufacturers to implement preventive measures, such as metal detectors, magnets and sieves, to reduce the risk of rock contamination in their products. It also recommended consumers to inspect their food before eating and report any foreign objects to the authorities.
Relevant articles:
– Trader Joe’s recalls two types of cookies because they may contain rocks, CNN Business, July 24, 2023
– Rocks in cookies? ‘Potential foreign material’ causes Trader Joe’s to recall two snacks, NBC New York, July 24, 2023
– Trader Joe’s Recalls Two Popular Cookie Products for Possible Rocks, Yahoo! Life, July 24, 2023
– CA grocery store Trader Joe’s recalls two types of cookies , The Sacramento Bee, July 24, 2023