HEALTH

United States upgrades potato chip recall over salmonella

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U.S. snack maker Utz Quality Foods has had a May recall of several Zapp's and Dirty brand potato chips upgraded by the Food and Drug Administration to a Class I status, the agency’s highest risk level, over potential salmonella contamination. The concern stems from a seasoning ingredient containing dry milk powder sourced from California Dairies, Inc. via a third-party vendor. Although affected seasoning batches initially tested negative, Utz recalled more than 684,000 bags distributed across nearly three dozen states. The FDA’s recent reclassification underscores a reasonable probability of serious health consequences or death, consistent with salmonella’s significant national disease burden.

Prepared by Olivia Bennett and reviewed by editorial team.

Timeline of Events

May 2024 Utz initiates voluntary chip recall
May 2024 Seasoning linked to dry milk
May 2024 Dry milk sourced from California Dairies
May 2024 Affected seasoning batches test negative
Last week FDA upgrades recall to Class I
Last week Over 684,000 chip bags included
Recently Products distributed across multiple U.S. states
Annually Salmonella causes thousands hospitalizations nationwide

News Intelligence

Your favorite Zapp's and Dirty brand chips could be risky. They might have salmonella, a nasty bug. It can cause serious illness or even death. Check your pantry for these chips and toss them out.