Multiple rock and insect-related recalls hit Trader Joe's after vendor cites 'issue' in manufacturing process

• Trader Joe's on Friday voluntarily recalled a Falafel product saying it could contain rocks.
• This is the third product the company has had to recall in a week.

Another one bites the dust… or, the rock.

Trader Joe's recalled its Fully Cooked Falafel on Friday, saying that the product could contain rocks. This is the fourth product recalled by the grocery chain in the last week over contamination concerns.

The company said that all product potentially containing foreign material has been voluntarily taken off shelves and destroyed. Those who have purchased the product prior to the notice should toss it or return it to one of their stores for a refund, according to a post on its website.

A spokesperson for Trader Joe's told Insider that a vendor had alerted the store that there was an "issue in the manufacturing processes."

The spokesperson did not clarify how the rocks may have gotten into the food, but stones and debris can make their way into food collected from fields, such as nuts or fruit, if they are not properly separated, according to food safety company Safefood360.

On July 21, Trader Joe's issued a recall for two types of almond cookies, citing that they could also contain rocks.

Then, on Thursday, the company recalled nearly 11,000 cases of its Unexpected Broccoli Cheddar Soup after discovering insects in the frozen broccoli.

"In each of these cases, there was an issue in the manufacturing processes in the facilities," the spokesperson told Insider. "We pulled the product from our shelves as soon as we were made aware of the issue. Once we understood the issue we notified our customers."

The recent recalls aren't the first for the chain this year: In March, the company had to issue a recall on a frozen fruit blend after concerns arose of Hepatitis A contamination. And in June, major retailers like Walmart, Whole Foods, Trader Joe's, Target and Aldi issued voluntary recalls of fruit products, citing potential bacterial contamination.