FDA upgrades – The FDA has upgraded a recall of several Zapp’s and Dirty brand potato chip varieties produced by Utz Quality Foods, LLC to Class I, the agency’s highest risk category, citing a reasonable probability the products could cause serious health consequences or dea
The night before the Fourth of July, the warning came with an escalation: the FDA has upgraded a recall affecting popular backyard-barbecue chip varieties to the agency’s highest risk level.
On June 24, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration designated the recall of several varieties of Zapp’s and Dirty brand potato chips as Class I. The FDA defines Class I as “a situation in which there is a reasonable probability that the use of or exposure to a violative product will cause serious adverse health consequences or death.”.
The FDA has classified the following items as Class I:
Zapps
– 1.5-ounce Zapp’s Bayou Blackened Ranch Kettle Chips
– 2.5- and 8-ounce Zapp’s Bayou Blackened Ranch Potato Chips
– 1.5- and 8-ounce Zapp’s Big Cheezy Potato Chips
Dirty
– 1.5- and 2-ounce Dirty Brand Salt and Vinegar Potato Chips
– 2-ounce Dirty Maui Onion Chips
– 2-ounce Dirty Sour Cream and Onion Potato Chips
These chips are produced by Utz Quality Foods, LLC. On April 28. Utz issued a recall after it learned “that a seasoning containing dry milk powder. sourced from California Dairies. Inc. and supplied by a third-party supplier, may contain the presence of Salmonella.” The recall includes more than 680,000 bags.
Anyone who has these products should not eat them and should discard them immediately.
Salmonella is a foodborne illness that can be fatal to young children, pregnant women, older adults, and people with weakened immune systems, according to the FDA. Symptoms may develop 12 to 72 hours after infection, the agency added.
For people with strong immune systems. the FDA said salmonella infection may cause fever. diarrhea (which may be bloody). nausea. vomiting. and abdominal pain. The illness can last four to seven days. In rare cases, the infection may produce more severe illnesses such as arterial infections, endocarditis, and arthritis, the agency added.
If someone contracts salmonella, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention recommends drinking plenty of fluids to prevent dehydration. The CDC advises consulting a doctor before taking antidiarrheal medicine or antibiotics. If severe symptoms continue after two days, the agency says to seek medical help.
Because diarrhea can spread salmonella to others, the CDC also recommends avoiding sharing food or preparing meals for others, sexual contact, and swimming in public pools. People should stay home while sick.
With the holiday weekend approaching, the FDA’s upgrade underscores that this isn’t a distant “maybe” for families planning gatherings. It’s a direct instruction: check your pantry, throw the recalled bags away, and keep the barbecues from turning into something nobody wants to deal with.
Utz Quality Foods FDA recall Zapp’s chips Dirty brand chips Class I recall salmonella Fourth of July