The Exploding Soda That Caused A Big Trader Joe's Recall

For decades, Trader Joe's reputation for quality products, great prices, and good vibes has amassed repeat customers for these reasons. Still, unfortunately, it's also fallen victim to numerous recalls, which have been on the rise in the grocery industry since 2024. While most recalls involve perishable food items like meat and dairy, one of the more notable Trader Joe's recalls involved an unusual product and an even more unusual problem.

Trader Joe's Triple Ginger Brew — described as a "ginger ale with a kick" and packaged in a vintage-style glass bottle — was taken off store shelves in 2015 because the bottles were reported to explode. In fact, customers complained that the bottle(s) they purchased were combusting before they were even opened. Fortunately, no one was hurt, and Trader Joe's urged buyers to seek a refund in case they purchased a bottle during that duration of time. Fast forward to today, and the gingery beverage is back on the shelves, now (one assumes) safe to open and consume.

Every grocery store chain falls afoul of recalls; Aldi alone was hit by several recalls that affected millions of customers, including contaminated produce, tortilla wraps laced with metal, and frozen Italian meals with a gruesome secret ingredient: horse meat. Compared to those debacles, Trader Joe's has emerged somewhat unscathed, but the chain has had its off days, too, with some of its biggest recalls involving insects in soups, bone fragments in burgers, and several significant instances of contamination. In 2024, several ready-to-eat products were recalled due to listeria, a bacteria that can cause common symptoms like fever and nausea to more serious symptoms like seizures and loss of balance. Trader Joe's urged its customers to check their purchase time and expiration dates based on the recall timestamps.

After a handful of products like protein wraps and salads were tested, many contaminated food items with sale dates that fell between July 21, 2024, and October 15, 2024 were recalled. While the impacted areas in the U.S. depended on the product, which in some cases affected more than half the country, Trader Joe's quickly tried to address the situation and ensure customers were safe. Here's hoping Trader Joe's has a better year ahead.