Chefs of the household should definitely consider preparing a fresh meal for dinner tonight after the FDA recently issued a recall notice for frozen meals sold at various supermarkets across the country after a contamination was discovered to have found its way into the product.
FDA issues recall for Lean Cuisine and Stouffer’s frozen meals
Frozen meals from the Lean Cuisine and Stouffer’s brands are being voluntarily recalled by Nestle USA from supermarkets across the country after a foreign matter was discovered to have contaminated the products. The recall impacts four kinds of frozen meals sold by the two brands and according to the press release, these frozen meals have potentially been contaminated by a foreign wood-like material.
The recalled Lean Cuisine and Stouffer’s meals were distributed across the country to multiple supermarkets including, Walmart, Kroger, Giant, Walgreens, and several others. The recalled products were produced from August 2024 to March 2025 and were then distributed and sold at the abovementioned stores between September 2024 and March 2025.
According to the press release, Nestle USA stated that “We are actively investigating the source of the wood-like material. We are confident that this is an isolated issue, and we have taken action to address it. We are working with the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) on this recall and will cooperate with them fully. The quality, safety and integrity of our products remain our number one priority. We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience this action represents to both our consumers and retail customers.”
How to identify the recalled products
According to Nestle USA, the recall is limited to a select quantity of batches of the product. The impacted products include Lean Cuisine Butternut Squash Ravioli, Lean Cuisine Spinach Artichoke Ravioli, Lean Cuisine Lemon Garlic Shrimp Stir Fry, and Stouffer’s Party Size Chicken Lasagna 96 oz.
Aside from these four products, no other Stouffer’s or Lean Cuisine products have been affected or recalled.
Consumers can identify if their product is a part of the recall by checking batch codes and best before dates on the packaging. The following products have been impacted:
- Lean Cuisine Butternut Squash Ravioli with batch codes of 4261595912; 4283595912; 4356595912; 5018595912; 5038595912 and best by dates of OCT2025; NOV2025; JAN2026; FEB2026; MAR2026
- Lean Cuisine Spinach Artichoke Ravioli with batch codes of 4261595912; 4283595912; 4356595912; 5018595912; 5038595912 and best by dates of OCT2025; NOV2025; JAN2026; FEB2026; MAR2026
- Lean Cuisine Lemon Garlic Shrimp Stir Fry with batch code 4214595511 and best by date of SEPT2025
- Stouffer’s Party Size Chicken Lasagna with batch codes of 4262595915; 4351595915; 5051595915; 5052595915 and best by dates of OCT2025; JAN2026; MAR2026
The recall for these frozen meals was initiated after a consumer called in a complaint stating that a “wood-like material” was discovered when they consumed the meal. As such, according to the report, one choking incident has been linked to this recall.
Shoppers who often stock up on these convenient meals should immediately check the meals in their freezers to ensure it does not fall part of the recalled batch so as to prevent any potential health hazards. If any individual finds that the information on their frozen meals matches the abovementioned details of the recalled products, they should discard of the meals immediately. Alternatively, the shoppers should return the frozen meal to the store from which they had purchased it and the product will be replaced or a full refund will be issued to them.
Additionally, if the recalled meals were consumed by any chance and the individual is experiencing any sort illness or injury as a result, a doctor or medical professional should be contacted immediately.
Any questions or requests for detailed information can be directed to Nestlé USA at (800) 681-1676 Monday through Friday from 9 am to 6 pm EDT.