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FDA Elevates Utz Chip Recall to Class I Over Salmonella

7/3/2026

Summary

FDA Upgrades Recall

The FDA upgraded Utz Quality Foods’ Zapp’s and Dirty chip recall to Class I, the highest risk level.
The May 2026 recall covers over 650,000 bags with best-by dates July 27 2026–August 31 2026, including Zapp’s Bayou Blackened Ranch, Zapp’s Big Cheezy, and Dirty Salt-and-Vinegar, Sour Cream-and-Onion, and Maui Onion chips.
Utz recalled the chips because dry-milk powder from California Dairies, Inc. may be salmonella-contaminated, with refunds available at 1-877-423-0149 after reporting no illnesses.

Summary

FDA Upgrades Recall

The FDA upgraded the chip recall to Class I on July 2 2026, two months after Utz’s voluntary May recall.
The upgrade appeared with other alerts, such as Target’s toy recall for choking hazards, and was listed in the FDA’s “RECENT RECALLS” feed.
Utz’s refund hotline (1-877-423-0149) operates Monday-Friday 9 a.m.–6 p.m. ET, with the FDA statements using the phrase “reasonable chance” to describe the risk.

Summary

California Dairies Recall

California Dairies, Inc. supplies the dry-milk powder in the recalled chips, prompting a federal safety investigation.
Target, Walmart, Acme, Safeway and Dollar Tree must pull 8-ounce and smaller bags nationwide.
The FDA asked Illinois shoppers, who bought the chips sold in 34 states, to check batch codes before discarding them.
Utz Customer Care fielded calls Monday-Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Central Time, not the previously reported 9 a.m.–6 p.m. Eastern.

History

Historical Context

1993 undercooked Jack in the Box burgers infected 732 people and killed four children in California, Idaho, Washington and Nevada. The outbreak made E. coli O157:H7 reportable, raised FDA cooking limits and drove USDA’s HACCP rules—a shift Senator Richard Durbin called pivotal in 2006. That regulatory framework underlies the FDA’s 2026 Class I upgrade of Utz Quality Foods’ Zapp’s chip recall.

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FDA Upgrades Recall

The FDA upgraded Utz Quality Foods’ Zapp’s and Dirty chip recall to Class I, the highest risk level.
The May 2026 recall covers over 650,000 bags with best-by dates July 27 2026–August 31 2026, including Zapp’s Bayou Blackened Ranch, Zapp’s Big Cheezy, and Dirty Salt-and-Vinegar, Sour Cream-and-Onion, and Maui Onion chips.
Utz recalled the chips because dry-milk powder from California Dairies, Inc. may be salmonella-contaminated, with refunds available at 1-877-423-0149 after reporting no illnesses.

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