About 160,200 pounds of Farm Rich Pizza Cheese Crunchers have been pulled from shelves after the manufacturer found they may contain pieces of metal. The snack was sold at Walmart, Dollar General, and Lidl across 21 states.

The recall was announced publicly on June 9, 2026, but it actually started more than three weeks earlier, and the FDA’s slow classification of the risk is drawing its own scrutiny.

What got recalled

The product is Farm Rich Pizza Cheese Crunchers, a frozen snack described as mozzarella sticks with pizza sauce inside, marketed as a finger-friendly bite for kids and adults. The manufacturer, Rich Products Corp., voluntarily initiated the recall on May 19, 2026, after identifying the potential for metal pieces in the product.

The FDA officially classified the recall as Class II, meaning exposure may cause temporary or medically reversible health effects. No injuries have been reported.

How to check your freezer:
– UPC code: 041322652256
– Lot number: 003029976
– Best-by date: July 30, 2027

If you have this product, don’t eat it. The FDA recommends disposing of it or returning it to the store for a refund.

The three-week delay

Here’s what’s drawing criticism beyond the recall itself: Rich Products Corp. initiated this recall on May 19. The FDA didn’t classify and publicize the metal contamination risk until June 9, three weeks later.

Per IBTimes UK, the recall “technically remained in regulatory limbo” for that entire window, meaning shoppers in 21 states were buying and eating a product with a known metal risk without being officially warned.

The FDA also hasn’t released specifics about how the contamination was discovered or named the retailers that received affected inventory, leaving consumers to check their own freezers without a full retail roadmap.

“The enforcement report states only that accounts were contacted about the recall via email.”, IBTimes UK

21 states affected

The recalled product was distributed to stores in Alabama, Arkansas, California, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, Missouri, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and Wisconsin.

If you’re in any of those states and bought Farm Rich Pizza Cheese Crunchers at Walmart, Dollar General, or Lidl in recent months, check the lot number on your box.

Not the first frozen snack recall

Food recalls involving metal contamination aren’t unusual, but a three-week lag between a voluntary recall and public disclosure is the kind of detail that’s getting shared. Earlier this year, Phundi covered how to claim settlement money from a class action involving StarKist tuna, a reminder that consumers have more options than they realize when products turn out to be problematic.

For the full list of active FDA recalls and more consumer stories, visit the Trending section.