A popular snack has been pulled from shelves in over a dozen states after a packaging mix-up raised serious health concerns. Here’s what you need to know if you’ve bought chips recently.
On March 26, 2025, Frito-Lay announced a voluntary recall affecting a limited number of its Tostitos Cantina Traditional Yellow Corn Tortilla Chips after it was discovered that some bags may contain nacho cheese-flavored chips.
The unexpected mix-up could pose a serious health risk to individuals with a milk allergy, as the nacho cheese variety contains milk that is not declared on the packaging.
The recall, also reported by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on March 27, 2025, specifically involves 13 oz. bags of the Tostitos Cantina Traditional Yellow Corn Tortilla Chips bearing a Guaranteed Fresh Date of May 20, 2025, which appears on the front of the packaging.
Affected products also carry specific manufacturing codes that help identify the recalled items. Consumers may have purchased these bags starting as early as March 7, 2025.
Less than 1,300 bags are impacted by the recall. While the quantity may be small, the potential danger for people with milk allergies or severe sensitivities is significant.
According to food safety guidelines, unreported allergens like milk can lead to severe or even life-threatening allergic reactions.
The distribution of the recalled product spanned a range of retailers—including grocery stores, drugstores, convenience outlets, and online sellers—across 13 states.
These include Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, Ohio, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia.
No illnesses or allergic reactions have been reported in connection with the affected product at the time of the recall. Frito-Lay has confirmed that no other Tostitos products, flavors, sizes, or variety packs are involved.
Corn chips | Source: Pexels
According to food safety standards, undeclared allergens remain one of the leading causes of food recalls in the U.S., with milk, peanuts, tree nuts, soybeans, wheat, shellfish, eggs, and fish accounting for 90 percent of allergic reactions.
Though not all sensitivities are classified as allergies, ingredients such as monosodium glutamate (MSG), sulfites, gluten, and artificial dyes like FD&C Yellow 5 (Tartrazine) can also trigger reactions in sensitive individuals.
A hand reaching into a bowl of corn chips | Source: Pexels
Consumers who have purchased the affected Tostitos product are advised to check the guaranteed fresh date and manufacturing codes and to avoid consumption if there’s any possibility of cross-contamination. Anyone with concerns should reach out to Frito-Lay directly for further guidance or to inquire about refunds.
For those with food allergies or caring for someone who does, even a small labeling oversight can carry major risks—making recalls like this an important reminder to double-check packaging and stay alert to updates from manufacturers.
Inside a bag of corn chips | Source: Pexels
This incident follows a trend of food recalls in recent months. As we previously reported, Tony’s Chocolonely Inc., a New York-based company, had announced a voluntary recall of specific chocolate bars sold throughout the United States.
The recall, made public on April 1, 2025 and published by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on April 2, 2025, concerns two products: the Tony’s Chocolonely Dark Chocolate Almond Sea Salt Bar and the Tony’s Chocolonely Everything Bar. Both bars weigh 180 grams, or 6.35 ounces.
The reason for the recall was the possible presence of small stones in the chocolate, which were not filtered out during a third-party almond harvesting and processing procedure.
The company received 12 reports from consumers who found small stones in the affected products. All of the complaints were made outside the United States and Canada. No injuries had been reported.
The recalled bars were distributed nationwide. They were available for purchase in retail stores across the U.S. as well as online at the company’s website, www.tonyschocolonely.com. Distribution of the affected products took place between February 7 and March 24, 2025.
The affected Tony’s Chocolonely Everything Bar includes four specific lot codes: 4327, 4330, 4331, and M4331. Lot 4327 has a best-before date of November 22, 2025.
Lot 4330 has a best-before date of November 25, 2025. Lot 4331 and M4331 both have best-before dates of November 26, 2025. The Universal Product Code (UPC) for lots 4327, 4330, and 4331 is 850011828564, while the UPC for lot M4331 is 850032676441.
The affected Tony’s Chocolonely Dark Chocolate Almond Sea Salt Bar includes three lot codes: 163094, 162634, and M162634.
Lot 163094 has a best-before date of April 2, 2026. Lots 162634 and M162634 both have best-before dates of February 28, 2026. The UPC for lots 163094 and 162634 is 858010005641, while the UPC for lot M162634 is 850011828908.
Consumers who have purchased any of the affected products and have not yet consumed them are advised not to eat the chocolate. Instead, they should return the product to the place of purchase for a refund or replacement, or dispose of the product safely.
Tony’s Chocolonely has provided detailed instructions for identifying the correct lot codes and how to submit a refund or replacement request on their website.
Consumers can visit https://us.tonyschocolonely.com/pages/recall-fo-intl-0325 for further guidance. The company clarified that no other lot codes are included in this recall, and no other Tony’s Chocolonely products are affected.
