Recall Expanded: Nearly 37 Million Pounds of Frozen Food Over Glass Contamination
If you’ve got a bag of Ling Ling fried rice sitting in your freezer right now, stop what you’re doing and read this.
On March 3, 2026, Ajinomoto Foods North America, Inc. expanded its already-significant frozen food recall—this time pulling an additional 33,617,045 pounds of product from circulation. Combined with the original February 19 recall, the total now sits at a jaw-dropping 36,987,575 pounds of frozen food that may contain glass. Yes, actual glass. In your dinner.
This isn’t a drill, and it’s not a small recall. This is one of the largest frozen food recalls in recent memory, and if you’re a fan of quick, freezer-to-microwave meals, there’s a real chance something in your home is on this list.
What Triggered the Recall
The problem started when Ajinomoto began receiving multiple consumer complaints about glass fragments found inside their products. After some digging, the company determined that the likely source of the contamination was carrots—a vegetable ingredient used across many of their product lines.
That single contaminated ingredient is what caused the recall to balloon so dramatically. Once investigators traced the glass back to the carrot supply, they had to evaluate every product that used those carrots, which turned out to be… a lot of products.
No injuries have been confirmed so far. But glass in food isn’t exactly the kind of thing you want to find out the hard way, so the USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is urging everyone to check their freezers immediately.
Which Brands Are Included in the Recall
The recall covers products sold under five brand names: Ajinomoto, Kroger, Ling Ling, Tai Pei, and Trader Joe’s. These were manufactured between October 21, 2024, and February 26, 2026, and have best-by dates ranging from February 28, 2026, through August 19, 2027.
Products included span a wide range of frozen meals:
- Fried rice — chicken and pork varieties under multiple brand labels
- Ramen — Tokyo-style shoyu and tonkotsu chicken ramen
- Shu Mai dumplings — specifically Trader Joe’s Chicken Shu Mai
Some of the specific products on the list include:
- Ajinomoto Yakitori Chicken Fried Rice
- Ajinomoto Japanese-Style Kurobuta Pork Fried Rice
- Ling Ling Restaurant Style Fried Rice Yakitori Chicken
- Ling Ling Tokyo-Style Ramen (both Shoyu and Tonkotsu Chicken)
- Tai Pei Chicken Fried Rice
- Tai Pei Ultimate Fried Rice
- Kroger Chinese Inspirations Chicken Fried Rice
- Trader Joe’s Chicken Fried Rice
- Trader Joe’s Chicken Shu Mai
- Multiple Ajinomoto-branded ramen products with French and bilingual Canadian packaging
These products were sold nationwide at major retailers including Costco, Walmart, Kroger, Sam’s Club, and Trader Joe’s. Some items were also distributed internationally to Canada and Mexico.
How To Check if Your Product Is Part of the Recall
Every recalled product bears one of the following USDA establishment numbers inside the inspection mark: P-18356, P-18356B, or P-47971. Flip your package over and check.
A full product list with lot numbers, UPC codes, and expiration dates is available on the FSIS website. Label images are also posted if you need a visual reference to compare.
If your product matches the establishment numbers and falls within the production date range (October 21, 2024 – February 26, 2026), it is subject to the recall regardless of whether it looks fine or has already been opened.
What To Do With Recalled Products
Two options, and two options only:
- Throw it away. Don’t taste it first. Don’t assume the glass is small enough to be harmless. Just toss it.
- Return it to the store where you purchased it for a full refund.
Do not consume these products. Glass contamination can cause serious internal injury, and no meal is worth that kind of risk—even if it’s the good Ling Ling stuff that you’ve been eating for years without incident.
Who To Contact for Questions
If you purchased any of the recalled products and have questions, you can reach Ajinomoto Foods North America directly:
- Phone: (855) 742-5011
- Email: [email protected]
For general food safety questions, the USDA’s Meat and Poultry Hotline is available at 888-674-6854, or you can email [email protected]. If you need to report an injury or issue with a meat, poultry, or egg product, the FSIS Electronic Consumer Complaint System is available 24/7 online.
Media inquiries can be directed to [email protected] or (909) 477-4800.
Why This Matters Beyond the Headlines
Recalls happen. Supply chains are complicated, and sometimes things go wrong. What’s notable here isn’t just the sheer size of the recall—nearly 37 million pounds is genuinely staggering—it’s how quickly a single contaminated ingredient cascaded across an entire product portfolio.
This is the second time in recent months that a glass-contamination recall has made national headlines involving major frozen food brands. It raises real questions about quality control at the ingredient supplier level, not just at the manufacturing facility itself.
For now, the priority is simple: check your freezer, act accordingly, and stay updated as FSIS continues monitoring this situation.
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