Trader Joe's Is Pulling Its Brand-New Garlic Bread Due to Quality Issues
Just a few days have passed since Trader Joe's brand-new Organic Garlic Bread began popping up at stores across the United States, but some packages have already been pulled from shelves due to an issue that caused quality concerns.
The new garlic bread (170 calories per serving) features pre-sliced rustic loaves with a "ciabatta-like texture" that are slathered with a garlic parmesan spread, according to the Trader Joe's website. Signage posted in Trader Joe's stores shows that the loaves should have a 180-day shelf life, thanks to vacuum-sealed packaging. Customers are meant to bake or grill the pre-seasoned loaves at home before digging in.
While the garlic bread is still one of the newest Trader Joe's offerings to arrive, several Trader Joe's fans took to Reddit this week to report that certain locations have stopped selling it due to purported issues with the product.
"I asked my store if they had it today (Bay Area) and the mate laughed and told me the bread was so bad that they only had it on shelves for one day before they removed it from shelves in a sort of recall," one customer commented.
"This has been taken off of the shelves in my region—just a heads up to anyone planning or wanting to buy it on their next trip," another wrote, adding that they live in the Midwest region.
When contacted for verification and comment on the reports, Trader Joe's confirmed to Eat This, Not That! that it had stopped selling a number of Organic Garlic Bread loaves.
"Trader Joe's Garlic Bread will be back on shelves soon. A small number of loaves had a packaging issue, so we pulled them from the shelves out of an abundance of care. We want to ensure we are providing the quality our customers expect," the retailer said in a statement.
A Trader Joe's employee who confirmed the reports as well told Eat This, Not That! over the phone that not all stores were impacted by the issue. So, if you're itching to get your hands on a loaf, you should check directly with your local Trader Joe's to confirm it's not affected by the quality concerns and in stock before heading over.
Any Trader Joe's fans who do spot the product in their area should take note that the customer reactions have been pretty divided so far. Some have described it as pretty tasty, but others have complained that the taste and texture have much room for improvement.
"Tried it last night. It was super dense. I prefer garlic bread that's more light and airy," one shopper wrote.
"It was ok. But needs more flavor!" another commented.
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