Frito-Lay chips recall upgraded to most dangerous classification over ‘life-threatening' risk
On Saturday, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration classified the recall of 13-ounce bags of Tostitos Cantina Traditional Yellow Corn Tortilla Chips as Class I. This type of recall is '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,' according to the FDA.
The FDA initially announced the recall of a limited number of these chips on April 2. The recall was initiated because the bags may mistakenly have been filled with nacho cheese tortilla chips, meaning they may contain an undeclared milk allergen.
If someone who's allergic to milk eats these chips, their reactions could 'vary in severity from mild symptoms involving hives and lip swelling to severe, life-threatening symptoms,' the FDA states.
Along with milk, the most common undeclared allergens are wheat, shellfish, eggs, fish, peanuts, tree nuts, and soybeans.
The recalled product from Frito-Lay was distributed to a range of retailers across 13 states: Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, Ohio, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia.
Chip bags were first sold on March 7, with less than 1,300 bags included in the recall. There have not been any reported allergic reactions due to the error.
This isn't the first time that Frito-Lay recalled a product due to an undeclared allergen. In November, a limited number of Lay's Classic Potato Chips bags were recalled because they may have contained undeclared milk, which Frito-Lay learned 'after being alerted through a consumer contact.'
The recalled product was sent to retail stores and distributors in Oregon and Washington, and it was available for purchase as early as November 3, 2024. Two months later, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) elevated this recall to a Class I recall.
There have been a slew of food recalls issued throughout the last month. On Saturday, Johnsonville, LLC recalled approximately 22,672 pounds of its cheddar bratwurst product, according to an announcement shared by the United States Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service. The recall was issued because the sausages may have been contaminated 'with foreign material, specifically hard plastic.'
The recall was initiated after Johnsonville, LLC received complaints from two different customers reporting hard plastic found in their bratwurst. At the time of writing, there have been no reports of injuries due to the consumption of the sausage.
Also this month, Trader Joe's issued a recall on its Hot Honey Mustard Dressing due to a 'labeling error.' The FDA stated that dressing bottles with a Use By Date of May 27, 2025, were incorrectly labeled with a nutrition sticker that did not accurately include an allergy warning for peanuts, soy, sesame, or wheat.
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Forbes
42 minutes ago
- Forbes
As 90% Of Adults Stress Over Food Prices, Are Radioactive Shrimp A Result Of Cost Cutting?
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According to a press release by FDA officials, the contaminated shrimp originated from Indonesia and was processed by PT. Bahari Makmur Sejati also known as BMS Foods. Due to this recall, BMS Foods is now on the FDA's 'red list,' barred their products from the U.S. until further notice. The radioactive shrimp were detected at four U.S. ports—Los Angeles, Houston, Miami, and Savannah, GA—before an import alert was issued by the FDA. Walmart quickly recalled the affected products at the agency's direction, advising customers to discard lot numbers - 8005540-1, 8005538-1 and 8005539-1. While none of the products exceeded federal intervention thresholds for a recall, the suggestion of radioactive shrimp being sold and served on American dinner tables was enough to ignite public anxiety. A farmer dries fish in Suqian, China, on October 15, 2024. (Photo by Costfoto/NurPhoto via Getty Images) NurPhoto via Getty Images Indonesia is one of the world's top exporters of shrimp, and the United States is the largest purchaser of the crustacean worldwide. In the last 5 years, shrimp sales volume has increased from 275 million to 415 million pounds annually. Yet its aquaculture industry has faced repeated scrutiny for sanitary conditions. Environmental watchdogs have flagged processing facilities where seafood, particularly shrimp, is held in substandard environments, with overcrowded farm raised fishing ponds and questionable sanitary practices designed to cut costs - they are also creating condistions for contamination. And while Indonesia's Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries has vowed to introduce a quality and safety assurance system for marine and fisheries products to align with U.S. and global import standards, there is still work to be done. At the same time, American shrimpers along the Gulf Coast say they are being squeezed out by lower-priced imports, but they are looking forward to the tariffs to ease the pain. Shrimp caught in U.S. waters is generally more expensive, as domestic producers must follow stricter safety protocols. U.S. shrimpers have called on federal regulators to impose stronger protections, warning that unfair foreign trade practices and cheap imports are undermining their livelihood. But the impending tariffs on imported foods, may further disrupt seafood markets by driving up the costs. The Yale Budget Lab estimates that new tariffs could raise food costs by another 3%, with some categories like fresh produce initially jumping up by 7% and processed rice rising in price by 10.2% in the long term. Other items expected to cost more include cereal, meat and dairy products. For fish and shellfish, the added expense could tempt suppliers and distributors to cut costs elsewhere in the chain— through the reduction of quality controls, or cheaper processing. A shopper browses near the poultry section at a Walmart in Rosemead, California on December 19, 2024. An elderly patient in Louisiana is in "critical condition" with severe avian influenza, US authorities announced December 18, 2024, the first serious human case in the country as fears grow of a possible bird flu pandemic. Genetic sequencing revealed that the H5N1 virus in the patient belonged to the D1.1 genotype. This genotype has recently been detected in wild birds and poultry in the United States, and in human cases reported in Washington state and in the Canadian case, in British Columbia province (Photo by Frederic J. BROWN / AFP) (Photo by FREDERIC J. BROWN/AFP via Getty Images) AFP via Getty Images This shrimp recall is hitting at a time when Americans are already deeply uneasy about the cost and safety of their food. According to a recent Associated Press-NORC poll, nearly 90% of U.S. adults report being stressed out regarding the cost of groceries, making it the #1 financial worry ahead of housing, healthcare, and savings. The data backs up those fears. Over the past year, the Consumer Price Index shows food prices increasing faster than inflation with groceries and restaurants up 2.4% and 3.8% respectively. In just one year, from June 2024 to June 2025, egg prices rose 27.3%, while meats, poultry, and fish climbed 5.6%. Consumers are absorbing these increases at the same time as they are told to be vigilant about recalls—whether it's lettuce linked to E. coli, baby formula shortages, or, in this case, shrimp carrying detected radioactive material. Each incident chips away at trust in the food system. 21 May 2025, Lower Saxony, Cuxhaven: Crabs (North Sea prawns) already cooked on the crab cutter are loaded onto a truck in the port. German North Sea fishermen have suffered a setback in the legal dispute over special fishing bans. The EU court dismissed their lawsuit against the EU Commission's corresponding bans in their entirety. Photo: Sina Schuldt/dpa (Photo by Sina Schuldt/picture alliance via Getty Images) dpa/picture alliance via Getty Images So, are radioactive shrimp just the latest symptom of a broken supply chain—or an isolated event unlikely to be repeated? The answer may not be clear for months. The FDA says it is working with Indonesian authorities to trace the source of the contamination and in turn wants to tighten oversight. But the discovery underscores how global food systems, already stretched thin by inflation and tariffs, are vulnerable to lapses that would have once seemed unimaginable. While some consumers will point to the system working, others will refer to this incident as a cause for deepening anxieties that food is both too expensive and too unreliable. For businesses, it's a warning that cutting corners—even through complex, faraway supply chains—can end up costing far more in reputational damage than in upfront savings. Whether this was a one-off mishap or an early glimpse of what's ahead, it has landed squarely in the middle of America's growing uneasiness over what to eat, how much it costs, and whether the system designed to protect consumer interests can still be trusted.
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Yahoo
Walmart recalls shrimp possibly exposed to radioactive material
Walmart has recalled some shrimp products in 13 US states after one shipment of seafood tested positive for radioactive contamination. The US Food and Drug Administration said varieties of frozen shrimp sold under Walmart's Great Value label could have been exposed to a dangerous isotope in shipping containers. One sample of breaded shrimp tested positive for the substance, but this positive sample "did not enter US commerce", the FDA said. Consumers are advised to throw away recently bought Walmart shrimp that matches this description - and not to eat or serve it. "The health and safety of our customers is always a top priority," a Walmart spokesperson told the BBC. "We have issued a sales restriction and removed this product from our impacted stores. We are working with the supplier to investigate." The spokesperson added that consumers who bought the recalled products can visit any Walmart location for a full refund. The recalled shrimp was sold at Walmart locations in Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Missouri, Mississippi, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Texas and West Virginia, and shoppers in those states were advised to be cautious. It came from an Indonesian supplier that has since had multiple shipping containers denied entry to the US, the FDA said. One shipment tested positive for Cesium-137, the radioactive form of the chemical element Cesium. The amount contained in the tested shipment held by the FDA was not enough to pose acute harm to consumers, but exposure over time could pose an elevated risk of cancer by damaging living cells in the body, said FDA officials.


Los Angeles Times
3 hours ago
- Los Angeles Times
Don't eat these potentially radioactive shrimp, FDA warns
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is warning people to avoid eating certain raw frozen shrimp sold in Walmart stores as the agency investigates possible contamination by Cesium-137, a radioactive isotope. U.S. Customs and Border Protection alerted the FDA to the detection of Cesium-137 in a single shipment of imported frozen shrimp from the Indonesia-based company PT. Bahari Makmur Sejati, which does business under the name BMS Foods. Officials have since detected the radioactive isotope at four ports across the nation: Los Angeles, Houston, Miami; and Savannah, Ga. The amount of Cesium-137 detected within the contaminated shipment would not pose an acute hazard to consumers. However, long-term consumption would pose an elevated risk of cancer. Bags of the frozen food product are sold under the brand name Great Value at Walmart stores in Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Missouri, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Texas and West Virginia. All containers and products that tested positive or alerted for Cesium-137 have been denied entry into the country, according to an FDA announcement on Tuesday. Federal officials are coordinating with Indonesian seafood regulatory authorities to investigate the root cause of the contamination. There have not been any reports of contaminated shrimp in the freezer section or within the U.S. food supply chain, authorities said. Cesium-137 can be found in soil, food and air, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. It is produced by nuclear fission for use in medical gauges and devices, but can also be a byproduct of nuclear reactors and weapons testing, the agency said. Though bags of frozen shrimp haven't tested positive for Cesium-137, officials say the product may have been prepared, packed or held in unsanitary conditions. Walmart has received shipments of the frozen food that were imported after the date of the first detection, but those specific shipments did not alert for contamination, officials said. Shoppers who purchased the following products should not consume eat or serve the frozen shrimp, but instead throw it away, authorities say: The FDA is currently recommending that Walmart completely recall the item. BMS Foods is also no longer allowed to import the products into the U.S. until the company addresses any potential issues.