A Choking Hazard Has Prompted These 2 Major Food Brands To Recall Frozen Meals

As announced by the FDA, Nestlé USA — the parent company of Stouffer's and Lean Cuisine — is voluntarily recalling select frozen meals due to possible foreign object contamination. Affected products include Lean Cuisine butternut squash ravioli, lemon garlic shrimp stir fry, and spinach artichoke ravioli, as well as Stouffer's party size chicken lasagna.

Recalled items were dispersed to stores from September 2024 to March 2025, and they were produced between August 2024 and March 2025. Nestlé USA emphasizes that only these items are included in the recall, so other Stouffer's and Lean Cuisine meals should still be safe for consumption. 

The recall resulted from a possible episode of choking related to the listed products. It's not entirely clear what the foreign object is, but it's been described as a "wood-like material." Nestlé USA encourages consumers to review the 10-digit batch codes (which precede the best before date) on the side of product packaging to determine whether they're affected by the recall. While a recent study by the Public Research Interest Group shows that food recalls are deadlier than ever, it's fortunate that no one was seriously hurt as a result of these contaminated frozen foods.

While some frozen foods have largely gone the way of the dinosaurs (here's looking at you, Swanson's frozen TV dinners — check out our retrospective to learn more), the offerings from Stouffer's and Lean Cuisine remain a staple of grocery store freezer aisles thanks to their convenience. Accordingly, Nestlé USA is invested in maintaining the reputation of these products, which entails acting swiftly when receiving serious complaints from customers.

If you're not sure whether you have a possibly-contaminated Stouffer's or Lean Cuisine product in your freezer, the FDA's announcement also lists the batch numbers' corresponding best before dates for each of the four items included in the recall. In the event you do have a recalled product at home, Nestlé USA advises that you return it to the place of purchase as soon as possible to receive a replacement item or your money back. The company also encourages consumers to contact it directly at (800) 681-1676 if they have questions about the recall or the associated products.

This isn't the first time that a Nestlé product has contained foreign materials; for instance, the company's stuffed chocolate chip cookie dough with fudge filling was believed to be contaminated with pieces of plastic in 2022. While foreign object contamination definitely isn't unheard of in packaged food, this recent incident is sure to dissatisfy fans of these frozen food brands.