Nearly 37 million pounds of fried rice, ramen, and dumplings sold under popular brand names, including Kroger and Trader Joe's, have been recalled due to concerns about glass fragments lurking in the products.
Portland, Oregon-based Ajinomoto Foods North America, Inc is expanding a massive recall to include nearly 36,987,575 pounds of chicken and pork fried rice, ramen, and shu mai dumpling products after at least four customers reported finding shards of glass in their food.
The USDA labeled this with its most urgent classification, Class I, meaning there is a 'reasonable probability' of 'serious, adverse health consequences or death.'
The initial recall covered one product, but after investigating, the recall was expanded to cover 16 products under brand names familiar to millions, including Ajinomoto, Kroger, Ling Ling, Tai Pei and Trader Joe's.
The affected products, which were shipped to stores nationwide, were produced between October 2024 and February 2026 with best-buy dates ranging from Feb 28, 2026, through Aug 19, 2027.
After hearing from consumers, Ajinomoto was legally obliged to notify the Food Safety and Inspection Service, a branch of the USDA, to kick-start an investigation into the source of the problem. In this case, the investigation traced the glass back to contaminated carrots that impacted several foods in production.
Neither the first nor the expanded second recall notices from the FSIS explained how glass got into the carrots in the first place.
According to the FSIS: 'There have been no confirmed reports of injury due to consumption of this product. Anyone concerned about an injury should contact a healthcare provider.'
Millions of Americans could have these products in their freezers right now, unknowingly putting themselves at risk of choking, or worse, internal injuries and bleeding. They are advised to throw them away or return them to the store where they were purchased.
The FSIS told consumers to check the packaging for establishment numbers P-18356, P-18356B or P-47971 inside the USDA mark.
In addition to having been shipped to thousands of stores across the country, certain Ajinomoto products had been exported to Canada and Mexico.
The first recall was announced on February 19 and included about 3.4 million pounds of chicken fried rice products.
It was expanded to cover an additional 33,617,045 pounds of fried rice, ramen and shu mai dumplings, bringing the total to nearly 37 million pounds.
The health risk of swallowing bits of glass could be potentially severe and even life-threatening.
Glass is sharp, rigid, and does not dissolve in the stomach.
Depending on the size and shape, those fragments can slice through soft tissue as they travel through the digestive tract.
Larger or sharper pieces can get stuck, tearing the lining of the stomach or punching a hole in the intestinal wall.
That can trigger peritonitis, a life-threatening abdominal infection that requires emergency surgery. In rare cases, glass can even lacerate blood vessels, leading to severe internal bleeding.
The FSIS announces recalls of meat, poultry and processed egg products and conducts follow-up checks to confirm the company notified its distributors and retailers.
FSIS inspectors also ensure that stores have physically removed the contaminated products from their freezers.
'FSIS is concerned that some product may be in retailers' or consumers' freezers,' the agency said.
'Consumers who have purchased these products are urged not to consume them. These products should be thrown away or returned to the place of purchase.'