USDA warns about plastic pieces in Trader Joe’s chicken salad

trader joes chicken salad

A public alert has been issued by the USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service regarding certain chicken salads sold under the Trader Joe’s label because of possible contamination with hard plastic pieces.

According to the alert, consumers may have ready-to-eat chicken/slaw products in their homes as it has use-by dates that run through March 12.

According to the alert, “The problem was discovered after an FSIS-inspected establishment received notification by their salad dressing supplier that the dressing may contain hard plastic.” The alert stated that the establishment notified FSIS about the problem. FSIS and FDA coordinate on this matter. These products have not been linked to any adverse reactions.

R&G Fine Foods Inc., Northridge, CA is the manufacturer of the chicken salad. The establishment number P-6247 can be found inside the USDA mark for inspection printed on the label. USDA labeling goes through a very specific process and is approved by The USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS). The product in question was shipped to Arizona, California, Nevada, New Mexico, and Utah.

One of the many Trader Joes Chicken Salad options

To determine if they have the chicken salad at home, consumers can refer to the following information: 12-ounce plastic tray packs containing “Trader Joe’s CRUNCHY SAW with Chicken, Crispy Noodles, & Peanut Dressing”, and a use-by date of 03/09/22.

The chicken salad was made on March 3rd, 4th, 5th, and 6th.

“Consumers who purchased these products should not consume them,” the public alert states. According to the alert, these products should be thrown out or returned to their place of purchase.

Consumers with food safety questions can call the toll-free USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline at 888-MPHotline (888-674-6854) or live chat via Ask USDA from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. (Eastern Time) Monday through Friday. Consumers can also browse food safety messages at Ask USDA or send a question via email to MPHotline@usda.gov. For consumers that need to report a problem with a meat, poultry, or egg product, the online Electronic Consumer Complaint Monitoring System can be accessed 24 hours a day at https://foodcomplaint.fsis.usda.gov/eCCF/.