Freezer-aisle favorites from Trader Joe’s, Meijer and HelloFresh have been pulled from kitchens across the country after federal officials warned that some frozen pizzas and focaccia loaves may contain small metal fragments. The recall, tied to a Charlotte-area manufacturer and traced to slow-roasted tomato ingredients, covers more than 25,000 cases in 10 states. Regulators labeled it a Class II recall, indicating a risk that is serious but typically temporary or medically reversible.
According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Charlotte-based Bakkavor voluntarily kicked off the recall on Jan. 19, with the agency formally assigning the Class II classification on March 23. A Class II recall, the FDA notes, is used when exposure to the product "may cause temporary or medically reversible adverse health consequences."
Regulatory records and news reports show that roughly 23,459 cases of roasted-tomato-and-parmesan focaccia and about 2,337 cases of HelloFresh’s Basil Pesto & Mozzarella pizza were affected, covering shipments to 10 states. The recalled products went to Arizona, California, Connecticut, Florida, Illinois, Michigan, North Carolina, New Jersey, Texas and Virginia, as reported by KTVU.
A national product list spells out specific lot codes and use-by dates, including HelloFresh lot 20367483 (use-by June 29 and June 30, 2026) and several Trader Joe’s focaccia lots with use-by dates stretching into October, according to Parade. The complete lot list and official consumer guidance appear on the U.S. Food and Drug Administration recall page.
What to check and what to do
If you picked up one of these items, look closely at the UPC, lot code and use-by date printed on the package before eating. Products that match the recall details should not be consumed. Retailers and the recalling firm advise throwing them away or taking them back to the store where you bought them for a refund. For more detail on which lots to watch for, see coverage in Parade.
How the contamination happened
Company and agency documents indicate the metal fragments were traced to slow-roasted tomatoes supplied to Bakkavor by an ingredient vendor. HelloFresh said the recall was supplier-initiated and that it alerted customers who may have received the affected pizzas, according to a statement reported by Patch.
This kind of supply-chain cross-contamination is not unheard of. Recent coverage of a WinCo pizza recall tied to metal concerns in slow-roasted tomato ingredients, reported in a story on WinCo yanking margherita pies, underscored how a single ingredient issue can ripple through multiple brands and retailers.
If you suspect you have a recalled product in your freezer, do not eat it. Return it to the store for a refund or discard it, and consider photographing the packaging as proof of purchase. Anyone with health concerns should contact a medical professional, and those with questions about the recall can look to local reporting such as Patch for additional guidance on next steps.
