USDA Issues Health Alert for Trader Joe’s Frozen Pizza After Missing Import Check

Food safety officials put out an alert about Trader Joe's Italian-made frozen pepperoni pizzas. The pizzas, headed for Southern California stores, missed key safety checks during import.

While monitoring incoming shipments, officials noticed these Italian pizzas had bypassed required U.S. inspection steps. The alert covers pizzas labeled SKU# 79898, with Best By Dates of 8/16/26 and 8/21/26.

The shipment made it to more than 60 stores. Check for lot numbers 06/16/25 and 06/21/25 printed on the bottom of packages.

A mix-up with paperwork led to the missed inspection. Customers can identify affected products by finding "IT 1558 L UE" inside the Italian inspection mark.

"We need to act quickly to protect consumers," said Rob Gerdes to WRTV.

Federal rules require detailed inspection of imported meats before they can be sold. Once staff discovered the oversight, they removed all affected pizzas from store freezers.

The USDA is asking customers to look in their freezers now. They should throw out any matching pizzas or return them to the store.

So far, nobody has gotten sick from these pizzas. Anyone with concerns about the alert can call the store at 626-599-3817.

Safety officials send out these alerts whenever required inspections are missed. This happens even if there's no sign of actual risk to customers.

While Italy approved the facility for exports, U.S. rules still require additional inspection before allowing sales here.