PepsiCo is recalling these popular chips due to a contamination risk.
What happened?
PepsiCo Netherlands has recalled several flavors of Lay's Bugles and Wokkels chips after a toxic non-food-grade mineral oil contaminated the chips during the packaging process.
Mineral oil is derived from petroleum. It can be repeatedly refined and purified from industrial-grade to cosmetic-grade to food-grade.
Food-grade mineral oil is often used on wooden cookware, like spoons, spatulas, and cutting boards. Industrial-grade mineral oil is used to lubricate or cool machines and is not safe for human consumption. It's likely this industrial oil is what contaminated the chips.
Customers should return the chips for a refund and avoid eating them, as "consuming these chips over an extended period may pose health risks," per NL Times.
PepsiCo, one of the world's top plastic polluters, is no stranger to recalls. PepsiCo recently recalled nearly 20,000 cases of Dr. Pepper Zero Sugar for mislabeling the cans, as they inadvertently contained "full sugar."
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Why is the recall concerning?
Companies recall products for a variety of reasons, like undisclosed allergens, lead levels, foreign objects, or bacteria, but all recalls are to prevent injury, illness, or death. Food recalls are always concerning — nobody wants to accidentally consume something that could harm them.
Recalls are on the rise. The "Food & Drug Administration (FDA) tallied 241 food and beverage recalls and alerts, an increase of 8% compared with 2023," per the U.S. PIRG Education Fund.
An increase in recalls doesn't necessarily mean more food is unsafe, but there were more reported foodborne illnesses, too — "1,400 people became ill from food they ate in 2024 that was later recalled – 98% of them from just 13 outbreaks," the U.S. PIRG Education Fund found.
What's being done to prevent unsafe food?
Technological advancements in the food industry are not only helping prevent contamination in the first place but also working to detect contaminated products before they hit the shelves. However, recent FDA budget cuts could result in looser enforcement of regulations, potentially raising the risk of contamination.
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Majorly 😥 As a consumer, stay up-to-date on food recalls from the USDA and FDA. If food that you've purchased is recalled, don't eat it, and return it to the store.
You can also avoid ingesting plastic and other contaminants by using less plastic.
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