Cookies Sold at Trader Joe's in Idaho and Utah May Contain Rocks

Normally when you hear that a company is recalling a food product it’s due to some sort of cross-contamination with an unlabeled allergen, possible contamination with bacteria like E. coli or Listeria, or spoilage. This is recall? It’s for a reason we’ve never heard a company use before.

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If you shop at Trader Joe’s, the popular grocery chain is warning you not to eat two varieties of their pre-packaged cookies. These cookies could have an unpleasant crunch to them. According to the grocer’s website, their supplier informed them that the cookies may contain rocks.

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Yes, you read that right. Rocks. Trader Joe’s locations have already removed and destroyed the affected product and urge you to take similar steps. The cookies affected are:

Trader Joe’s Almond Windmill Cookies

Trader Joe's

Sell-by date: 10/19/23-10/21/23

Trader Joe’s Dark Chocolate Chunk and Almond Cookies

Trader Joe's

Sell-by date: 10/17/23-10/21/23

Since you spent money on these cookies, you may not be as willing as Trader Joe’s so they’re willing to issue you a full refund. If you have questions about the product or getting a refund, their customer service number is (626) 599-3817. There’s also an e-mail address set up.

Trader Joe's

In late June, the grocery chain also recalled bags of their “Trader Joe’s Organic Tropical Fruit Blend” that may have been contaminated by Listeria. If you were unaware of that recall and happen to have a bag of that fruit in your freezer, you can reach out to the same customer service number above to double-check. Like the cookies, they’ll issue you a full refund for the product.

Trader Joe’s owns two stores in Idaho both in the Treasure Valley (Boise and Meridian.) They also have four stores in Utah and 24 in Washington state. Two of those are just over the Idaho-Washington in Spokane.

KEEP READING: Find These 15 Seasonal Specialty Items Only at Trader Joe's

Here are a few essential specialties that are available at Trader Joe's.

Are These the Best Products at Trader Joe's?

Trader Joe's Cookie Butter. That was the first time I had ever heard the words Trader Joe's a few years ago. My friend was raving about this stuff. The store sounded intriguing. I read more about Trader Joe's and I thought it was a health food store with a bunch of products I would never put in my mouth. This place did not sound appealing to a super-picky, Midwest-comfort food-eating gal.

My doctor suggested I monitor my sodium intake, which led me to Google 'low sodium foods." An article about the topic featuring Trader Joe's low sodium products popped up in my search. The included list was long and a lot of the food sounded like something I'd actually eat. But, was it going to taste good?

I've been having to visit Rochester, MN every few months and told Google to take me to Trader Joe's. I was picturing a huge store, like a warehouse club, with a modern look. I was way off. In Rochester, Trader Joe's is located in a strip mall with a couple of other businesses. It didn't look like a fancy, hip, Gen Z kinda joint, which is what I had in my head. It seemed small. As a matter of fact, it looked old, like it had been there a while.

I was greeted with a massive display of fresh flowers. I had no idea fresh flowers were a Trader Joe's staple. As I walked through, I carefully read the labels of several products to suffice my special, low sodium diet. I had a cartful of products to try and my bill was under $80. Not only were there several products I was willing to try at Trader Joe's, they were reasonably priced. The Trader Joe's business model is based on no frills so they can provide the best products for a low price. I like that idea. I don't need fancy, I just want low prices.

I am now a Trader Joe's convert and I know what all the hype is about. Here are some of my favorite products.

P.S. Cookie butter did not make the list.

Viral Trader Joe's Foods

TikTok is the biggest social media platform right now and Trader Joe's finds are constantly going viral there. Here are the most raved-about items you can find at Trader Joe's.