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Frito-Lay announced a recall of certain bags of Lay’s Classic Potato Chips on Monday after it was revealed that the product may contain undeclared milk. The goods were sold in two states, Oregon and Washington.

Why it matters

Food recalls are issued for a variety of reasons, including if the product may contain undeclared ingredients that could cause an allergic reaction or if it may be contaminated by bacteria such as E. coli.

Frito-Lay, maker of Lay’s potato chips, voluntarily announced the recall after a consumer alerted it that the chips may contain undeclared milk. The recall was published by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on Wednesday.

What you should know

If someone with a severe milk allergy consumes the product, they could experience a life-threatening reaction, a Frito-Lay news release warned. “Individuals with an allergy or severe sensitivity to milk are at risk of experiencing a serious or life-threatening allergic reaction if they consume the recalled product.”

Despite the severity of the warning, no allergic reactions have been reported to date, Frito-Lay added in the release.

The recall affects a “limited number” of 13-ounce bags of Lay’s Classic Potato Chips.

The chips were sold in retail stores and through e-commerce retailers in Oregon and Washington and were available for purchase on November 3rd. The chips are packaged in a flexible bag and have a guaranteed freshness date of February 11, 2025 and a manufacturing code of either 6462307xx or 6463307xx. The UPC code is 28400 31041.

The recalled chips must have both the guaranteed freshness date and one of the manufacturing codes.

What people say

a Frito-Lay representative said Newsweek: “Frito-Lay has issued a recall for a limited number of 13-ounce bags of Lay’s Classic Potato Chips that may contain undeclared milk. The product included in this recall was distributed in Oregon and Washington. No other products, flavors, sizes or varieties of Lay’s packs are being recalled.

What happens next

Customers with a milk allergy or sensitivity should not consume the product and are urged to discard it immediately.

The FDA will likely classify the recall after its scientists assess the health risks.

There are three classification levels for recalls based on the risk of the product. A Class I recall is the most serious when consumption of the affected product could result in serious health problems or death. A Class II is assigned when a product may cause a temporary health problem or mild threat, and Class III is the least serious level where a product is unlikely to cause a health problem but still violates FDA labeling or manufacturing laws.

It is unclear when a classification for the Frito-Lay recall will be released.