Walmart Recalls 25,550 Bags of Tortilla Chips Due to Metal Contamination

Walmart brand tortilla chips have been recalled due to possible metal contamination.

Although Walmart sells a variety of Great Value tortilla chips, including Hint of Lime and Chili Garlic, the only chips to be taken off the shelves so far are the Restuarant Style White Corn Tortilla Chips.

According to Food Safety News, 25,550 affected bags are a part of the Class II recall.

It is unknown how the metal fragments landed in the bags.

FDA Recall Classification

According to the FDA: recalls are classified into a numerical designation (I, II, or III) by the FDA to indicate the relative degree of health hazard presented by the product being recalled.

Class I - a situation in which there is a reasonable probability that the use of, or exposure to, a violative product will cause serious adverse health consequences or death.
Class II - a situation in which use of, or exposure to, a violative product may cause temporary or medically reversible adverse health consequences or where the probability of serious adverse health consequences is remote.
Class III - a situation in which use of, or exposure to, a violative product is not likely to cause adverse health consequences.

How to tell if your chips are infected

If you have bought chips from Walmart recently, there are a number of ways to tell if they are infected. The first is to look for a best-by date of May 23. The second is to look for product lot codes: 122051## and 123051##. If your chips contain any of these, it is best to throw them out or return them for a full refund.

The dangers of consuming metal

Heavy metal poisoning happens when certain metals are accumulated in the body due to exposure through

food, water, industrial chemicals, or other sources.

Symptoms and the duration of the symptoms of heavy metal poisoning vary depending on the type of metal you were exposed to.

For example, for those that have acute heavy metal poisoning (exposure to a large amount of metal at once ie. swallowing a toy) may experience the following symptoms:

Confusion
Numbness
Nausea
Vomiting
Falling into a coma

However, heavy metal poisoning is rare, and is often difficult to diagnose since many of the symptoms can be the same as other health problems, according to Oregon Public Health.

If you are worried about your exposure to heavy metal, contact your doctor.

By Jessica Daniels, BDO Staff Writer | Published March 8, 2022