It’s no secret that we here at The Nosher are big fans of Trader Joe’s. In 2016, we rounded up all our favorite Jewish and Israeli foods available at the quirky and affordable supermarket, and have updated and added to the list over the years. In 2018, we even boasted that one could get their entire Rosh Hashanah dinner at TJ’s. And since then, The Nosher has rejoiced when products like bamba, za’atar, shakshuka and matzah have been added to the Trader Joe’s roster.
But even though it’s undeniable that Trader Joe’s falafel rocks, we didn’t think the brand would take that sentiment literally.
On Friday, July 28, Trader Joe’s announced that it was recalling its frozen falafel as the product might contain, you guessed it, rocks.
“To Our Valued Customers: We have been alerted by our supplier of Trader Joe’s Fully Cooked Falafel (SKU# 93935) and that the product – sold only in AL, AK, CO, CT, DE, FL, GA, IA, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MA, MD, ME, MI, MN, MO, NC, NE, NH, NJ, NM, NY, OH, OK, PA, RI, SC, TN, TX, VT, Washington DC, and WI stores – may contain rocks,” Trader Joe’s wrote in a statement.
They added, “If you purchased or received any donations of Fully Cooked Falafel, please do not eat them. We urge you to discard the product or return it to any Trader Joe’s for a full refund.”
In plain English: Check your Trader Joe’s frozen falafel packaging for the SKU number 93935. If it has that number, do not eat it!!
Thankfully, Trader Joe’s falafel mix does not seem to be affected by the recall (so feel free to continue using our TJ’s falafel schnitzel hack), though in recent days the company has also recalled its Almond Windmill Cookies, Dark Chocolate Chunk and Almond Cookies, and Trader Joe’s Unexpected Broccoli Cheddar Soup.
While the company clarified that all potentially affected frozen falafel are no longer for sale, this might be the sign you were waiting for to try making falafel from scratch! As always, The Nosher has you covered with the best homemade falafel recipe. But don’t worry TJ’s, we still think that you rock!