A recall affecting De Todito potato chips has been classified as Class I by U.S. food safety officials after the products were found to contain pork cracklings imported from a country currently not approved to export meat products to the United States.
Imported Pork Cracklings Lead To Recall Of De Todito Products
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced the recall of products distributed by El Eden Import Distributor Corp. after determining that pork cracklings included in certain De Todito snack products were not eligible for entry into the United States.
The recalled items include 45-g. foil bags of De Todito NATURAL mixed chips containing CHICHARRÓN AMERICANO JACKS, Margarita, and NATU CHIPS, along with 45-g. foil bags of De Todito BBQ mixed chips containing the same pork cracklings ingredient.
According to Newsweek, the affected products were imported from Colombia on July 28 and shipped to a New Jersey distributor as well as retail locations in New Jersey and Utah. The products reportedly lacked required import markings on their labels.
FSIS Issues Class I Warning Over Affected Snack Products
The recall was launched after FSIS received a consumer complaint involving De Todito snack products containing dried plantains, potato chips, and chicharrónes, or fried pork cracklings.
The FSIS describes a Class I recall as involving a health hazard situation “where there is a reasonable probability that use of the product will cause serious, adverse health consequences or death.”
The agency said the concern is linked to the eligibility of the imported pork ingredient rather than a finding that the chips tested positive for a specific pathogen.
Consumers Told To Avoid Eating Recalled Chips
The recalled products involve approximately 264 pounds of affected snack items. FSIS warned that some packages may still be stored in consumers’ homes.
The agency advised consumers who purchased the products not to eat them and to either throw them away or return them to the place of purchase. No illnesses or injuries connected to the recalled products have been reported.
Food Safety Experts Explain Why Recalls Occur
Recent recalls have increased public attention on food safety, but experts say recalls can also show that monitoring systems are identifying problems before they spread.
Keith Schneider, professor of food safety at the UF Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS), said recalls often demonstrate that food safety processes are working by locating affected products and removing them from circulation.
The recalled De Todito potato chips were distributed after being imported from Colombia and sent to locations in New Jersey and Utah, according to the FSIS alert.
