10 Of The Worst Frozen Food Recalls That Swept Across America

One thing consumers never want to hear is the word "recall," especially when it's for a food in their own freezers. There's an understandable fear and paranoia surrounding recall alerts. It's never possible to know exactly what a food product went through from the time it's made until it hits the shelves. New studies show that food recalls are even deadlier in today's day and age, with 2024 being one of the worst years for foodborne illnesses to date.

The most startling thing about recalls is that they're not limited to microscopic bacteria that are invisible to the human eye. Many frozen food recalls also happen due to foreign materials ending up in the food before it makes it to the freezer. It's not a pretty timeline to look back on, but learning from past recalls may help brands learn from the mistakes of others. Here are some of the worst that have hit the freezer section through the years.

In 2007, Topps Meat recalled 21.7 million pounds of frozen hamburger patties. They were believed to be contaminated with E. coli bacteria strain O157:H7, which can be fatal to humans. This strain is found in the intestines of cows, and the only way to kill it is by cooking beef to an internal temperature of 160 degrees F. The problem with hamburger patties is that they vary in doneness, with some people preferring medium or medium-well burgers. Those who didn't cook their burgers well-done were at an increased risk of getting sick from the product.

The recall extended to frozen hamburger patties with best-buy dates between September 2007 and September 2008, which meant the company lost a year's worth of product. By the end of it, at least 30 people fell ill across eight states. The recall was significant enough to effectively shut down Topps, a company that had been producing frozen meat products since 1940.

Not long after Topps Meat shut down following its recall, another company met the same fate. In 2008, Hallmark/Westland Meat Packing Co. had one of the biggest recalls in history. Shockingly, this recall wasn't due to any type of contamination; instead, it was prompted by an undercover investigation by the Humane Society of the United States. This revealed the company was raising cattle in inhumane conditions, which led to the animal welfare investigation. The footage showed employees forcing cattle to walk when they were clearly injured, moving them with forklifts, and abusing the animals to force them to move.

The Hallmark/Westland beef recall became one of the biggest in the United States. It resulted in 143 million pounds of beef recalled, including some that was frozen for transport, and cost the company $67.2 million. The case itself resulted in criminal charges against President Steve Mendell, Supervisor Daniel Agarte Navarro, and Luis Sanchez. 

In 2015, Aspen Foods issued a recall after tests confirmed that salmonella was present in its ready-to-eat frozen, raw, and stuffed chicken entrees. The products were distributed by 19 brands to major retailers across the country. The recall affected a year's supply of product, making a significant dent in frozen inventory.

Between May and July 2015, five illnesses had been recorded with origins tracing back to the salmonella strain found in Aspen Farms' frozen chicken. Another three cases in Minnesota, one in Wisconsin, and one Oklahoma had been added to the total cases by October. The USDA determined consumers may not have realized the product was not precooked, which led to undercooked meat during preparation. By the end of the recall, it's estimated that roughly 561,000 pounds of frozen product had been destroyed.

Listeria monocytogenes, known more commonly as just listeria, is a deadly bacteria that can cause severe illness, especially in pregnant women, the elderly, and anyone with a compromised immune system. Listeriosis is a major concern as a foodborne illness because the bacteria can survive in frozen temperatures. In 2016, this fear became a reality when CRF Frozen Foods had to recall 11 different products that tested positive for the pathogen.

This recall was devastating to the brand, as well as popular grocery chains in the US and Canada that sold the products, like Trader Joe's, Safeway, and Costco. In total, 358 frozen vegetable and fruit products, which were sold under 42 different brands, were destroyed. Eight people fell ill, including six in California, one in Maryland, and one in Washington state. Tragically, two patients in Maryland and Washington succumbed to their symptoms and died.

Food isn't always recalled due to foodborne pathogens. In the case of Wayne Farms, LLC, frozen, cooked chicken was recalled due to foreign materials. The investigation began when a consumer filed a report on July 27, 2018, claiming they'd found pieces of metal in their frozen chicken. This prompted the company to pull all products during that date range, as it was unclear how foreign materials got into the chicken in the first place.

While no other reports were lodged during this time, Wayne Farms recalled 438,960 pounds of fully-cooked, frozen chicken. This affected 11 different frozen, fully-cooked products. The reports claimed these may have been contaminated with "extraneous materials," not limited to metal pieces as per the original report. To date, no other cases have been reported, and the recall lasted just under one month.

No one wants to see their favorite frozen snack end up on a recall list but, unfortunately, this happened to many consumers in 2021. After reports of contamination in 4-ounce, 12-pack packages of Hot Pockets Garlic Buttery Crust Pepperoni Pizza Value Packs, Nestlé issued a recall for a year's worth of product. Consumer complaints prompted the recall, with four customers claiming they'd found foreign objects in their Hot Pockets, and one person requiring medical attention for a minor laceration . 

It was later determined that these contaminants were plastic and glass; however, Nestlé was unable to determine how these worked their way into the product. There were 762,615 pounds of product destroyed following the contamination. 

Surprisingly, this is not the only recall for a Nestlé' frozen food. In March of 2025, the brand also recalled Stouffer's and Lean Cuisine due to contaminants.

In 2023, a major frozen fruit wholesaler, Scenic Fruit Company, issued a recall on frozen organic strawberries. The fruit came from one farm in Baja, Mexico, and was contaminated with the virus Hepatitis A. While the virus is preventable — and treatable, if caught early — through vaccination, those who are unvaccinated are susceptible to symptoms, which can appear two to seven weeks following exposure. The virus targets the liver and is contagious, which makes this recall that much more severe.

The contaminated frozen fruit was distributed to major stores, including Trader Joe's, Costco, Aldi, KeHE, Vital Choice Seafood, and PCC Community Markets. Both strawberries and the company's tropical fruit mix were affected, leading to multiple products being pulled from shelves. Although symptoms don't show up until much later, the CDC confirmed at least 10 people fell ill from the contamination across four different states.

In 2023, California, Arizona, Colorado, Washington, and Utah grocery stores were alerted to a recall by Wawona Frozen Foods. The alert was for frozen strawberries and a popular frozen organic smoothie blend. Walmart was just one of the retailers affected by the recall, as its Sliced Strawberries, Mixed Fruit, and Antioxidant Blend was on the list. The affected fruit was also sold at Costco as Organic DayBreak Blend. This massive recall was due to a contamination of hepatitis A, and lasted from October 2022 until June 2023. 

While no illnesses were reported and the recall was issued as a precaution, it cost both stores a year's worth of product. Four-pound bags of frozen fruit were pulled off shelves through the entirety of 2023 . Every product tested was negative for hepatitis A, with no explanation for the potential contamination. Although it was cautionary, full refunds were issued to customers by Costco and Walmart, making it one of the largest recalls for both chains.

In 2024, Costco and Sam's Club faced one of their biggest recalls to date on some of their most popular products. Rise Baking Company recalled its cookies and cookie doughs, including Costco's Chocolate Chunk Frozen Cookie Dough, Sam's Club's Dough Pucks Member's Mark Chocolate Chunk, Rise Baking Jumbo Chocolate Chunks, and Mini Chocolate Chip Cookie dough due to salmonella contamination. What's even more harrowing is the alert extended through 21 states, resulting in nearly 30,000 cases of cookies and cookie dough labeled as contaminated. Potentially contaminated products from Rise Baking Company were also sold by Panera Bread, which pulled its Panera Chocolate Chipper Cookie from shelves. 

The recall was later expanded, and the FDA bumped it to a Class II contamination. This means the risk was severe and had the potential to pose mild health problems with a slight risk of "serious harm." While no illnesses were reported following the voluntary recall by Rise Baking Company, its ripple affect made it one of the biggest frozen food recalls in history.

In October 2024, TreeHouse Foods issued a voluntary recall that would soon become one of the largest for frozen breakfast products. The recall included frozen waffles and pancakes distributed by more than 40 brands, affecting popular grocery stores like Hannaford, Food Lion, Target, Walmart, Aldi, Dollar General, HEB, Kroger, Publix, and Tops. After routine testing of the manufacturing facilities found traces of listeria, the company issued a recall. The recall was issued for a wide range of frozen waffles manufactured over an 18-month-span were affected.

This recall affected a variety of waffle and pancake flavors , such as buttermilk, multigrain, chocolate chip, and blueberry. The range of this recall affected nearly every major grocer across the country, with little in the way of how these products may have been contaminated in the first place. While no illnesses have been reported to date, it stands as one of the largest food recalls in 2024, and the biggest frozen waffle recalls in history.