Why Did Trader Joe's Sushi Disappear For Years?

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Trader Joe's (once again) sells sushi. This is a fact you may or may not be aware of, depending on whether you were a fan or not. Some people thought the rice was too mushy — myself included. While it was never the best grocery store sushi, like Wegman's, some found it to be a convenient, decent option with a low price point. It would be fair to assume that the sushi disappeared so that TJ's could improve the recipe. Good guess, but the real reason was due to a food recall in 2019.

The recall came from Fuji Foods, which supplied Trader Joe's with all of the sushi rolls and spring rolls. This was triggered by a listeria contamination scare, but thankfully, no one reported an illness to the FDA. The recall wasn't just limited to Trader Joe's, but to other retailers that sold products produced by Fuji Foods.

Following the recall, sushi disappeared from Trader Joe's until 2024. Now, there are only two sushi options listed on the Trader Joe's website: the Vegetable Roll and California Roll, both priced at $5.99. Before the recall, there were many more sushi offerings, like the Tempura Shrimp Crunch Rolls, Smoked Salmon Philly Roll, and other variations made with brown rice.

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It's not possible to tell who currently produces the sushi for Trader Joe's, as the retailer does not intentionally disclose this information. The most straightforward way to find out is when there is a food recall, like in the case of Fuji Foods. There was a four to five-year gap in Trader Joe's not selling sushi, so it's very possible that the retailer was looking for a new supplier during this time. Sushi was not one of the foods recalled at Trader Joe's in 2025, or any of the past years since it left shelves, so the supplier has not been exposed. 

And the taste? On a r/TraderJoe's subreddit, a poster shared how they were disappointed by the mushy rice, a complaint about the sushi from the past. Other users commented that it wasn't terrible, and the price reflects what you should expect from grocery store sushi that's been sitting in the refrigerated section. Even if the sushi is coming from a new supplier, it still doesn't seem like this product has improved too much in terms of flavor and texture.

So if you throw this product in your cart, lower your expectations, and maybe try the vegetable roll over the California because it has more crunch. If you're looking for the best grocery store sushi, here is our ranking.