If you’re a fan of Zapp’s or Dirty brand potato chips, you need to check your pantry right now. Utz Quality Foods, the parent company behind both brands, issued a voluntary recall on May 4, 2026, pulling nine specific products from shelves across the entire country. The problem traces back to a single ingredient: dry milk powder used in the chips’ seasoning. That powder, sourced from California Dairies, Inc., may be contaminated with salmonella.
No one has gotten sick. Utz says the seasoning batches actually tested negative before they were used. But the company decided to pull the products anyway after the ingredient supplier flagged the issue. So if you’ve got a bag of Zapp’s Bayou Blackened Ranch sitting on your counter, keep reading before you tear it open.
What Exactly Got Recalled
This isn’t a blanket recall of everything Utz makes. It’s very specific. Nine products total, split between two brands: Zapp’s and Dirty. Both are kettle-cooked chip lines that Utz acquired over the years. Zapp’s started in Louisiana and built a cult following around bold Cajun-inspired flavors. Dirty is another premium kettle chip brand with a reputation for strong, punchy seasoning profiles. Both are sold at grocery stores, gas stations, and convenience stores all over the country.
According to the FDA recall notice, no other Utz products are affected. That means your regular Utz chips, Boulder Canyon, On The Border, Hawaiian, and the rest of Utz’s massive snack portfolio are all fine. This is only about certain flavors, certain sizes, and certain batch codes of Zapp’s and Dirty.
The Full List of Affected Zapp’s Products
Here’s every Zapp’s product included in the recall. You’ll need to check both the UPC code on the barcode and the best-by date printed on the bag. If both match, toss it.
1.5-oz Zapp’s Bayou Blackened Ranch Potato Chips (UPC 83791272917). Best-by dates: August 3, 2026 (batch 26030070101), August 10 (batch 26036070102), August 17 (batch 26043070101), August 24 (batch 26052070103).
2.5-oz Zapp’s Bayou Blackened Ranch Potato Chips (UPC 83791272924). Best-by dates: August 3, 2026 (batch 26029070104), August 17 (batches 26044070104 and 26045070104), August 31 (batch 26058070104).
8-oz Zapp’s Bayou Blackened Ranch Potato Chips (UPC 83791272931). Best-by date: July 27, 2026 (batches 26024070105 and 26024070104).
8-oz Zapp’s Big Cheezy Potato Chips (UPC 83791192246). Best-by date: August 31, 2026 (batches 26058070104 and 26059070104).
2.5-oz Zapp’s Big Cheezy Potato Chips (UPC 83791192208). Best-by date: August 31, 2026 (batch 26058070104).
1.5-oz Zapp’s Salt and Vinegar Potato Chips (60-count) (UPC 83791010144). Best-by dates: August 3, 2026 (batches 26030070101 and 26031070101), August 10 (batches 26036070102 and 26037070102).
The Full List of Affected Dirty Brand Products
The Dirty brand side of the recall is smaller but still important to check. All three are 2-oz bags.
2-oz Dirty Brand Salt and Vinegar Potato Chips (UPC 83791520148). Best-by dates: August 3, 2026 (batches 26030070104, 26031070104, 26031070101), August 10 (batches 26038070102 and 26038070103).
2-oz Dirty Brand Maui Onion Potato Chips (UPC 83791520162). Best-by date: August 8, 2026 (batch 26052070103).
2-oz Dirty Brand Sour Cream and Onion Potato Chips (UPC 83791520094). Best-by date: August 31, 2026 (batch 26059070104).
Every single recalled product has a best-by date in either July or August of 2026. If your bag has a date outside that range, you’re in the clear.
Where These Chips Were Sold
Here’s the tricky part. The FDA recall notice doesn’t list specific retailers. That means these bags could have been on shelves at any store that carries Zapp’s or Dirty products. We’re talking major grocery chains, smaller regional stores, gas stations, airport shops, convenience stores, you name it. If it sells snacks and stocks either of these brands, there’s a chance the recalled bags were there.
Zapp’s in particular has wide distribution. Originally a Louisiana brand, it became popular across the Southeast and then expanded nationwide after Utz bought it. You can find Zapp’s in everything from Publix to Target to random truck stop snack racks. Dirty brand chips are a little less common but still show up in plenty of grocery stores and specialty snack sections across the country.
Retailers have been instructed to pull all affected products from shelves immediately. But if you already bought a bag before the recall hit, the store won’t come knocking on your door to tell you about it. That part’s on you.
Why This Recall Happened
The root of this whole thing is a dry milk powder made by California Dairies, Inc. That powder gets used in seasoning blends, and those seasoning blends get sprinkled on chips during production. A third-party supplier provided the powder to Utz’s seasoning manufacturer, and somewhere along that chain, a potential salmonella contamination was flagged.
Here’s what makes this interesting. Utz says the seasoning batches they used actually tested negative for salmonella before they went onto the chips. The recall wasn’t triggered by Utz finding something wrong with its own products. It was triggered by the ingredient supplier issuing its own recall of the milk powder. Utz decided to pull its products as a precaution even though its own testing came back clean.
That’s actually a pretty responsible move. A lot of companies would sit on something like that and wait to see if anyone gets sick. Utz didn’t. Zero reported illnesses, negative test results on their end, and they still pulled the products.
How to Check Your Bags
Grab the bag and flip it over. You’re looking for two things: the UPC code (that’s the number under the barcode) and the best-by date, which is usually stamped or printed near the top or bottom seal of the bag. Some bags also have a batch code printed nearby.
Match the UPC against the list above first. If it’s not one of the nine UPCs listed, you’re fine. If the UPC does match, check the best-by date next. If it falls between late July and the end of August 2026, and the batch code lines up, that bag is part of the recall.
If you find a match, don’t eat the chips. Throw them away. If you want a refund, you can contact Utz’s customer care team by emailing them or calling 1-877-423-0149. They’re available Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Eastern time.
No Illnesses Reported So Far
As of the recall announcement on May 5, 2026, Utz says nobody has reported getting sick from any of the recalled products. That’s good news, and it’s consistent with the fact that the company’s own testing came back negative. This is a precautionary recall, not a reaction to people ending up in emergency rooms.
Still, the reason companies take this seriously is because salmonella is no joke. It can cause some truly miserable days, especially for young kids, older adults, and anyone with a compromised immune system. Symptoms can show up anywhere from a few hours to several days after exposure. If you ate chips from one of the recalled batches and start feeling off, contact your doctor.
What About Zapp’s Voodoo Chips?
This is probably the first question a lot of Zapp’s fans are asking. Voodoo chips are the brand’s signature product, the flavor that put them on the map and turned them into a cult snack brand. That sweet, smoky, slightly spicy seasoning blend is what most people think of when they hear the name Zapp’s.
Good news: Voodoo chips are not part of this recall. The affected Zapp’s flavors are Bayou Blackened Ranch, Big Cheezy, and Salt and Vinegar. If you’ve got a bag of Voodoo sitting in your cabinet, it’s not included. Same goes for any other Zapp’s flavor not on the list above.
The Bottom Line
This is a limited, precautionary recall. Nine products, two brands, specific batch codes and dates. No one has gotten sick, and Utz’s own testing didn’t find any contamination. But the ingredient supplier flagged a problem, and Utz did the right thing by pulling the products rather than waiting around.
If you buy Zapp’s or Dirty chips regularly, take 30 seconds to check your bags against the list. Look at the UPC, the best-by date, and the batch code. If everything matches, throw the bag out and call Utz for a refund. If nothing matches, eat your chips in peace.
For the most up-to-date information and product images, you can check the official FDA recall page. And if you have questions, Utz customer care is reachable at 1-877-423-0149 or 1-800-FOR-SNAX.
