An urgent recall for Lay’s potato chips has been escalated to the highest level for containing a potentially deadly ingredient.
The FDA revealed that bags of 13 oz Lay’s Classic Potato Chips distributed in Oregon and Washington could contain undeclared milk.
Around 4.9 million American suffer from milk allergies and it is one of the most common food allergies in children.
Symptoms of milk allergy range from mild to severe and can include wheezing, vomiting, hives and digestive problems.
In severe cases, the condition can also cause anaphylaxis, which is a life-threatening reaction that narrows the airways and can block breathing.
After peanuts and tree nuts, milk is the third most common food to cause anaphylaxis.
In the US, between 500 and 1,000 people die each year from anaphylaxis.
The FDA has updated the recall as a ‘Class I’ which refers to 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’.
An urgent recall for Lay’s potato chips has been escalated to the highest level for containing a potentially deadly ingredient
It is not clear why the FDA – which originally issued the recall in mid-December – has stepped up the classification to the highest level.
However, the officials note that ‘those with an allergy or severe sensitivity to milk run the risk of a serious or life-threatening allergic reaction if they consume the recalled product’.
Frito-Lay, which produces over 16 billion bags of snacks annually, was originally alerted about the compromised product by a consumer.
The product included in the recall was distributed to certain retail stores and e-commerce distributors in Oregon and Washington.
Consumers would have been able to purchase these chips as early as November 3, 2024.
The recalled product is in a flexible 13 oz bag with a ‘Guaranteed Fresh’ date of February 11, 2025.
Its manufacturing codes are 6462307xx or 6463307xx.
To date, no allergic reactions or illnesses related to this matter have been reported.
No other Lay’s products, flavors, sizes or variety packs are recalled.
Consumers who have an allergy or sensitivity to milk, are warned to discard the chips immediately and refrain from eating them.
It isn’t the first time Lay’s have been accidentally laced with milk.
In May 2023, maker Frito-Lay issued a recalls of Lay’s Classic Potato Chips distributed in Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, and New Hampshire.
The company said at the time that the undeclared milk ingredients could have come the from sour cream and onion potato chip flavor, which declares dairy on the packet.
