Frito-Lay Recalls Barbecue Chips After Packaging Mix-Up Leaves Customers at Risk

Chip lovers, beware. Frito-Lay issued a voluntary recall on Lay's Lightly Salted Barbecue Flavored Potato Chips after the chips were packed into the wrong bags.

On Monday, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) revealed that Frito-Lay pulled the chips because although Lightly Salted Barbecue Flavored Potato Chips don't contain milk, they were put in packages that did. The organization said the chips were shipped to stores in 24 states.

Those states are as follows: Arkansas, Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Minnesota, Missouri, Mississippi, Montana, North Dakota, Nebraska, New Mexico, Nevada, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Washington and Wyoming.

The recall was issued by Frito-Lay shortly after the mistake was discovered. It's unclear which flavor of chips the Barbecue-flavored crisps were mixed up with.

Health officials warn that consuming the chips could lead to allergic reactions for consumers with milk allergies. Reactions could range from upset stomach to more serious, and potentially life-threatening issues. Thus far, no one has reported any serious illness from consuming the chips.

Shoppers should check their cupboards for bags of chips with the UPC code "28400 63242." The number can be found on the left bottom side of the bag. Consumers may also take notice of the nine-character manufacturing code under the "guaranteed fresh" date, which will include the numbers "2" and "9" as the second and third digits if affected.

The FDA is urging consumers not to consume the affected chips. They should be thrown away, or returned to the store from which they were purchased. Anyone with further questions about the recall can contact Frito-Lay Consumer Relations at (800) 352-4477 during regular business hours.

Currently, no other products have been affected by the Frito-Lay recall. This type of issue is common among food companies, though it's typically meats, fish and perishable items that are affected.

The snack company previously recalled two jalapeno-flavored chip varieties that may have been contaminated with salmonella. That recall was issued in 2017, according to CNN. Lay's Kettle Cooked Potato Chips and jalapeno-flavored Miss Vickie's Kettle Cooked chips were pulled in the recall.

At the time, the company said bacteria may have been present in the seasoning. The chips were distributed to stores and put in vending machines. The FDA said in a statement about the recall that its suppliers recalled the seasoning blend. No salmonella was found in Frito-Lay's chip supply, but the company decided to recall the products "out of an abundance of caution."