It's time to check your snack cupboards, because Frito-Lay issued a voluntary recall Friday over possible salmonella contamination in certain chip seasonings. Which Frito-Lay chips were recalled? It's bad news for spicy snack lovers, because the recall specifically involves bags of jalapeño flavored Lay’s Kettle Cooked potato chips and Miss Vickie’s Kettle Cooked potato chips, according to Food Safety News. Romper has reached out to Frito-Lay for additional comment.
In the recall announcement listed by the Food and Drug Administration, the recall occurred after one of the company's suppliers also recalled its jalapeño powder seasoning blend that Frito-Lay used in the two brands of chips. While Frito-Lay said that no salmonella was found in its seasoning specifically, and that no illnesses have been reported to the company, the recall has been put forth in "an abundance of caution" for consumers. The products in the recall were distributed throughout the United States and Canada in retail stores, vending machines, and by other methods, according to Food Safety News. The company has emphasized that the jalapeño flavor is the only variety of Lay's Kettle Cooked potato chips and Miss Vickie's potato chips that may actually be affected by the possible contamination, and that the jalapeño cheddar flavored Lay's Kettle Cooked 40% Less Fat chips are safe for consumption.
How can you tell if your chips may have been recalled? You'll want to check the size and date listed on the package. If you have a bag of either the jalapeño Lay's Kettle Cooked or jalapeño Miss Vickie's chips that have a “guaranteed fresh” date of July 4 or earlier printed on the front of the bag, it's been recalled — and that applies to all sizes.
That rule also applies to certain multipacks containing the jalapeño chips. Recalled bags in the following multipacks will also have a "guaranteed fresh" date of July 4 or earlier:
- 12 count Lay’s Kettle Cooked Multipack Sack
- 20 count Frito-Lay Bold Mix Sack
- 30 count Miss Vickie’s Multipack Tray
- 30 count Lay’s Kettle Cooked Multipack Tray
- 32 count Miss Vickie’s Multipack Box
In addition to the "guaranteed fresh" date listed on the individual bags, the multipack package will also have a “use by” date of June 20 or earlier printed on it. If you do have a multipack containing the recalled chips though, all of the non-jalapeño flavors will still be fine to eat — you'll just want to make sure you give the jalapeño Lay's Kettle Cooked or jalapeño Miss Vickie's a miss.
In Canada, the recall affects only the Miss Vickie's brand, and includes the jalapeño variety in 40-gram, 66-gram, and 220-gram sizes, according to the Canada Food Inspection Agency. The recalled packages in this case will all have a "guaranteed fresh" date of June 20 or earlier, but if you aren't entirely sure, you can double-check the UPC codes listed on the bag. The recalled products will have the following codes:
- 0 60410 00176 9
- 0 60410 01714 2
- 0 60410 06638 6
Anyone in the United States who has purchased the recalled product can contact Frito-Lay Consumer Relations at 866-272-9393 for more information, or head to www.jalapenochiprecall.com to be reimbursed. Canadian customers can visit www.canadajalapenochiprecall.com for more details.
While the risk of salmonella exposure appears to be low, it's definitely not something you'd want to take a chance with. According to the FDA, salmonella is a bacteria that can cause "serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people," and even healthy adults can experience fever, possibly-bloody diarrhea, nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain if they contract salmonellosis. In extreme cases, salmonella can enter the bloodstream, leading to arterial infections, endocarditis and arthritis. Although the product hasn't been linked to any cases of illness so far, anyone showing any symptoms of possible salmonella-related food poisoning should contact their doctor immediately.
