Nine varieties of salty snacks from Utz Quality Foods were recalled this week over concerns they could be contaminated with salmonella, widening a safety alert the company announced Monday for products sold under its Zapp’s and Dirty brands.
The recalled chips were seasoned with a dry milk powder sourced from California Dairies Inc., and the Food and Drug Administration said that ingredient may contain salmonella. Several seasoned batches tested negative for the bacteria, and no illnesses have been reported. Still, the snacks were sold at retail stores nationwide, including Walmart and Target, which puts the recall in front of shoppers far beyond the brands’ usual customer base.
Most of the recalled items are set to expire in August. That matters because the products may still be in kitchens, pantries and break rooms across the country, even as store shelves are being checked and pulled stock cleared out.
The recall also lands against the backdrop of a pathogen that can move quickly once it is swallowed. The FDA says symptoms can develop 12 to 72 hours after infection and may include fever, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain in people with strong immune systems. The illness usually lasts four to seven days, but in rare cases salmonella infection can lead to arterial infections, endocarditis and arthritis. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advises drinking plenty of fluids to prevent dehydration, consulting a doctor before taking antidiarrheal medicine or antibiotics, and seeking medical help if severe symptoms continue after two days.
The question now is not whether the recall is serious; it is whether anyone who bought the affected snacks notices the warning before eating them. With nine varieties pulled and the products already in homes nationwide, the safest move is to check packages against the recall and discard any that match.
