What with winter, and the ongoing COVID news, we can all be excused for having let the New Year’s resolutions around healthy eating slip a little. But if you’ve picked up some potato chips at the store this week, make sure you check their packaging before diving in. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued a recall notice on a popular brand of potato chip due to a potential contamination issue that could cause allergic reactions. Keep reading to make sure your savory snacks are good to go, and for more on potential risks lurking in your kitchen, check out If You Have This Meat in Your Fridge, Throw It Away Now, USDA Says.

Frito-Lay issued a voluntary recall of their Ruffles Original Potato Chips on Jan. 21 because they may contain undeclared milk ingredients. The bags in question are the 13.5 oz. “Party Size” variety, with no other sizes or flavors affected. The recall was triggered after 50 bags of the potato chips were inadvertently filled with another flavor, raising the possibility of contamination with dairy ingredients. While no adverse reactions have been reported yet, milk allergies should be taken seriously—milk is the third most common food after peanuts and tree nuts to cause anaphylaxis, a medical emergency requiring treatment with adrenaline to avoid a sufferer’s breathing becoming restricted. Less extreme symptoms include hives, wheezing, itching or swelling around the mouth, coughing, and vomiting.

The potentially affected chips were distributed in Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma, and Arkansas. The bags have the UPC 0 28400 03400 5, a “Guaranteed Fresh” date of Mar. 23, 2021, and the Manufacturing Code 225335014 73 03:xx (with xx being a number between 00 and 13). Any customers with these chips should return them to the retailer for a full refund, or contact Frito-Lay directly. Read on for more recent recalls that should be on your radar, and if you are a milk drinker, know that If You Have This Milk in Your Fridge, the FDA Says Get Rid of It Now.

1

Hot Pockets

Hot pizza rolls or pockets broken open on a plate
Hot pizza rolls or pockets broken open on a plate

Nestlé Prepared Foods has recalled approximately 762,615 pounds of Hot Pockets that may be contaminated with pieces of glass and hard plastic, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced on Jan. 15. The potentially contaminated Hot Pockets are the “premium pepperoni pizza” variety produced from Nov. 13, 2020 through Nov. 16, 2020 and shipped to retail locations nationwide. The boxes in question have a Feb. 2022 expiration date and lot code 0318544624, 0319544614, 0320544614, or 0321544614 printed on the carton. They also include establishment number “EST. 7721A” inside the USDA mark of inspection.

2

Publix Steam-in-Bag vegetable meals

hand opening door of microwave
hand opening door of microwave

On Jan. 14, the supermarket Publix announced the voluntary recall of three of its Publix Steam In Bag meals due to potential contamination with Listeria monocytogenes, a species of bacteria that can “cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people and others with weakened immune systems.” The affected meals—Publix Steam In Bag Green Bean Butternut Squash, Publix Steam In Bag Season Butternut Medley, and Publix Steam In Bag Butternut Brussel Pecan—were sold between Jan. 3 and Jan. 14, 2021 and have GTIN codes 002-24887-00000, 002-25399-00000, and 002-25677-00000 on the packaging, respectively. And for another ready-to-eat meal that was recalled, see why If You Have This Pre-Made Meal at Home, Throw It Out Now.

3

Lavaa yogurt

bowl of blueberry fruit yogurt on blue background
bowl of blueberry fruit yogurt on blue background

The FDA also announced a product recall of Lavva’s Blueberry Plant-Based Yogurt due to potential mold contamination on Jan. 11. Though no illnesses related to the yogurt had been reported at the time of the recall, the FDA cautions customers not to eat the blueberry flavor sold in 5.3 ounce containers with the expiration date Feb. 21, 2021 and lot number 022121 printed on the bottom of the cup. The yogurt was voluntarily recalled by Lavva’s parent company, EVR Foods. And for more regular recall news, sign up for our daily newsletter.

4

Weis ice cream

cookies and cream ice cream in white bowl
cookies and cream ice cream in white bowl

Two beloved ice cream flavors were also the subject of a recall recently. On Jan. 10, the FDA reported that Weis Markets’ cookies and cream and vanilla ice creams could potentially be contaminated with metal equipment parts after an intact piece of metal was found in the cookies and cream flavor. The recall includes 10,869 containers of Weis Quality Cookies and Cream Ice Cream (48 oz.) and 502 bulk containers of Klein’s Vanilla Dairy Ice Cream (3 gallon) sold at nearly 200 Weis Markets’ stores in Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and West Virginia. The affected products are marked with the UPC number 041497-01253 and an Oct. 28, 2021 sell-by date. And for more products to steer clear of, check out why If You Bought This Home Product From Amazon, Return It Now.

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