Potato Chips From Colombia Are Being Recalled
A bag of chips in your pantry could be subject to a Class I recall — the most serious level the federal government issues.
The Food Safety and Inspection Service announced a recall of 264 pounds of De Todito Natural and De Todito BBQ potato chips, both distributed by El Eden Import Distributor Corp. The problem isn't contamination in the traditional sense — it's that the chips contain chicharrón, a pork crackling product, that was produced in Colombia. Colombia is not authorized to export meat or poultry products to the United States.
The chips were imported on July 28, 2026 and shipped to a distributor in New Jersey, as well as retail locations in New Jersey and Utah. No illnesses have been reported. But because the products were imported months ago, federal officials are concerned some bags may still be sitting in people's pantries.
Which Products Are Affected
The recall covers two specific products, both in 45-gram foil bags:
De Todito Natural mixed chips with chicharrón — listed as Americano Jacks, Margarita, and Natu Chips varieties. De Todito BBQ mixed chips with chicharrón — same variety breakdown.
One important detail: the recalled bags do not carry any import marks on the labels, so you can't identify them that way. The FSIS discovered the issue after a customer complaint, not through routine inspection.
If you have either product, don't eat it. Throw it out or return it to the store where you bought it.
Why Colombia Can't Export Meat to the US
Before any country can export meat or poultry to the United States, the USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service must formally determine that the country's meat inspection system provides the same level of public health protection as the American system. That's not a rubber stamp — it's a thorough evaluation covering government oversight and enforcement, inspector qualifications and staffing levels, sanitation controls, pathogen and residue testing programs, and the ability to trace products through the supply chain.
Colombia hasn't been approved through that process. That's what puts these chips in the import violation category and triggers a Class I recall — the highest level, reserved for situations where there's a reasonable probability that consuming the product could cause serious health consequences or death.
The FSIS is careful to note that an ineligible country doesn't automatically mean unsafe food. The issue is that the US hasn't verified Colombia's system meets American standards — so there's no way to confirm the pork in these chips was inspected and processed in a way that meets US requirements. That uncertainty is exactly what the approval process exists to eliminate.
What Chicharrón Actually Is — and Why It Shows Up in So Many Snacks
Chicharrón is made from fried or baked pork skin, fat, and in some preparations, meat — the result is a crispy, deeply savory crackling that's a staple across Latin America, Spain, and the Caribbean. In Colombia, Mexico, Peru, and much of Central America, it's not just a snack — it's an ingredient woven into everyday cooking, showing up in soups, rice dishes, empanadas, and yes, mixed snack products.
That cultural ubiquity is part of why it ends up in products like De Todito — a popular Latin American chip brand that blends different snack types together, with chicharrón pieces adding crunch and flavor alongside more familiar chip textures. For consumers from countries where chicharrón is a common ingredient, finding it in a mixed chip bag is as unremarkable as finding a crouton in a salad.
The regulatory complexity kicks in because US consumers — and US customs officials — don't always connect "pork crackling snack component" with the same category of oversight as fresh meat or poultry. But under federal law, any product containing pork produced outside the US must come from a country with an FSIS-approved equivalent inspection system, regardless of how that pork is processed or how small a component it is in a finished snack product.
This isn't the first time imported Latin American snack products containing meat-based ingredients have run into US import restrictions. The growing market for authentic imported snacks — driven by immigrant communities, food enthusiasts, and the explosion of Latin American products in specialty and international grocery stores — creates ongoing friction with a regulatory system that wasn't designed with shelf-stable snack components in mind.
What This Means for Shoppers of Imported Snacks
If you regularly shop at Latin American grocery stores, international markets, or specialty food retailers that carry imported snack brands, this recall is a useful reminder that ingredient scrutiny matters even for products that seem straightforward.
Meat-containing ingredients — including pork cracklings, beef-based flavorings, and chicken-derived seasonings — in imported snacks are subject to the same import requirements as fresh cuts of meat. The difference is that it's far less obvious on a shelf. A bag labeled as chips or crackers doesn't trigger the same mental flag as a package of raw pork, even if it contains an ingredient from a country whose meat inspection system hasn't been cleared by the USDA.
Reading ingredient lists on imported products and looking for any indication of country of origin on meat-based components is the most practical step consumers can take. When in doubt about a product you've purchased from a specialty importer, the FSIS recall database at fsis.usda.gov maintains a current list of active recalls and import violations.
No injuries have been reported from these chips. But the fact that the recall was triggered by a consumer complaint rather than a port inspection suggests the product slipped through the normal screening process — a reminder that the border isn't a perfect filter.
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