HelloFresh Pizza, Trader Joe’s Focaccia Recalled Over Metal Contamination Risk

FDA warns consumers to check freezers as recalled pizzas and focaccia breads may contain metal fragments from contaminated ingredient supply.

Rudy Blalock

Published: 3/31/2026, 4:35:01 AM EDT

HelloFresh Pizza, Trader Joe’s Focaccia Recalled Over Metal Contamination Risk — A shopper pushes a cart from the Trader Joe's supermarket in Hadley, Mass., on July 28, 2022.(Carol Lollis/The Daily Hampshire Gazette via AP)

Federal food officials are warning consumers to check their freezers for certain ready-to-eat pizzas and focaccia breads that may contain metal fragments. The voluntary recall affecting more than 25,000 cases of products was classified as a Class II health risk by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on March 23.

North Carolina-based food manufacturer Bakkavor began the recall on Jan. 19 after discovering metal fragments in “various bread products,” according to the FDA. The company later traced the problem to slow-roasted tomatoes supplied by one of its ingredient vendors, which were found to potentially contain metal fragments.

According to the FDA’s website, a Class II recall is when the products “may cause temporary or medically reversible adverse health consequences or where the probability of serious adverse health consequences is remote."

No injuries have been reported in relation to the products in question, but the recall remains ongoing.

The recall covers HelloFresh Basil Pesto & Mozzarella Pizza and multiple roasted tomato and parmesan focaccia breads sold under the brands HelloFresh, Frederik’s by Meijer, Fresh & Simple, Harris Teeter’s HT Traders line, and Trader Joe’s. In total, the recall affects 2,337 cases of the HelloFresh pizzas and 23,459 cases of the focaccia products.

The pizza at issue is labeled Basil Pesto & Mozzarella Pizza, net weight 13.90 ounces (394 grams), with UPC 8 57919 00785 5, and is distributed by Grocery Delivery E-Services in New York City. The affected lots are numbered 20367483 with use-by dates of June 29 and June 30, 2026, 20377537 with a use-by date of Sept. 4, 2026, and 20377821 with a use-by date of Sept. 5, 2026.

The bread recall involves Roasted Tomato Parmesan Focaccia Bread sold as FREDERIK’S by Meijer Slow-Roasted Tomato & Shredded Parmesan Cheese, Fresh & Simple Roasted Tomato & Parmesan Focaccia, HT Traders Roasted Tomato & Parmesan Focaccia, and Trader Joe’s Focaccia Bread Roasted Tomato & Parmesan, with package weights between 13.75 and 14 ounces and brand-specific UPCs.

Use-by dates for the focaccia range from April 27 through Oct. 15, 2026, across numerous lot codes, including several Frederik’s by Meijer lots in April, July, and August, a Fresh & Simple lot in July, HT Traders lots in May and July, and dozens of Trader Joe’s lots spanning late July through mid-October.

The recalled items were shipped to Arizona, California, Connecticut, Florida, Illinois, Michigan, North Carolina, New Jersey, Texas, and Virginia, and, in the case of the HelloFresh pizza, also sent directly to customers as part of meal-kit deliveries. Bakkavor notified its customers by email, and the FDA advises anyone who purchased the products to throw them away or return them to the place of purchase for a refund.

Regulators emphasize that, while the probability of serious injury is considered remote under a Class II designation, ingesting food contaminated with metal fragments can pose health risks, so consumers should not eat the recalled items. A detailed list of affected Trader Joe’s focaccia lots is available through the FDA’s recall database.