FDA Assigns Highest Risk Level to Potato Chip Recall Over Possible Salmonella Contamination

The FDA classified the recall as Class I last week, indicating there is a 'reasonable probability' that consuming the chips 'will cause serious adverse health consequences or death.'

Audrey Simons

Published: 7/2/2026, 5:25:04 PM EDT

FDA Assigns Highest Risk Level to Potato Chip Recall Over Possible Salmonella Contamination — Utz Quality Foods voluntarily recalled limited varieties of Zapp’s and Dirty brand potato chips on May 4, 2026. (Courtesy of the Food and Drug Administration)

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has classified a nationwide recall involving more than half a million bags of Zapp's and Dirty brand potato chips at its highest risk level due to possible Salmonella contamination.

Utz Quality Foods initially issued the voluntary recall in May, after being notified that Salmonella may be present in one of its chip seasonings containing dry milk powder, which was sourced from California Dairies, Inc. through a third-party supplier.

The Pennsylvania-based subsidiary of Utz Brands, Inc. said affected seasoning batches had tested negative for Salmonella, noting that limited varieties of the potato chips had been pulled "out of an abundance of caution."

According to an FDA enforcement report, the Zapp's brand products featured in the recall include 179,837 2.5-ounce and 8-ounce bags of Bayou Blackened Ranch Potato Chips, 164,640 1.5-ounce bags of Bayou Blackened Ranch Kettle Chips, and 14,976 1.5-ounce and 8-ounce bags of Big Cheezy Potato Chips.

More than 300,000 1.5-ounce and 2-ounce bags of Dirty Brand Salt and Vinegar Potato Chips were also featured in the recall, as well as 19,200 2-ounce bags of Dirty Sour Cream and Onion Potato Chips and 5,000 2-ounce bags of Dirty Maui Onion Chips.

The products were distributed in 34 states, excluding Alaska, Delaware, Hawaii, Idaho, Kansas, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Dakota, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Utah, Washington, West Virginia, and Wyoming.

Utz Quality Foods said at the time of the recall announcement that it hadn't received any reports of illness in connection with the recalled products. However, last week, the FDA classified the recall as Class I, indicating there is a "reasonable probability" that consuming the chips "will cause serious adverse health consequences or death."

It is unclear whether or not any illnesses have since been reported. NTD reached out to Utz Quality Foods for more information, but a response was not received by publication time.

According to the Mayo Clinic, Salmonella is a common bacterial infection that targets the intestinal tract and is usually spread through food or water that has been contaminated with fecal matter from infected animals.

Symptoms may include diarrhea, vomiting, nausea, stomach cramps, and fever, among others, and typically appear between six hours and six days after exposure to the bacteria. The foodborne illness is not usually fatal, but can be more severe in young children, older adults, and those with weakened immune systems.

Utz Quality Foods said customers who have any of the recalled products should not eat them and should discard them instead, noting that retailers should also make sure the affected chips are not available to consumers.

Customers were asked to contact the Utz Customer Care team directly by email or by calling 1-877-423-0149 during normal business hours with any questions about the recall or information about obtaining a refund.