De Todito Chips Recalled Again Because Their Pork Cracklings Came From Colombia, Which Is Barred From Exporting Meat
El Eden Import Distributor Corp., a Long Island City, New York, importer, is recalling about 264 pounds of De Todito mixed chip snacks because the pork cracklings inside were produced in Colombia, a country not eligible to export meat products to the United States. The USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service announced the recall Sept. 9, Food Safety News reported.
The recalled items are 45-gram foil bags of De Todito NATURAL and De Todito BBQ mixed chips containing CHICHARRÓN AMERICANO JACKS, Margarita, and NATU CHIPS. They were imported on July 28 and shipped to a distributor in New Jersey and to retail locations in New Jersey and Utah. The bags carry no import marks.
No illnesses or injuries have been reported. The problem is not contamination with a known germ. The meat came from a country whose inspection system has not been approved by U.S. regulators, which means its safety cannot be verified. And this is not the first time this snack line has been caught.
Third Federal Action Involving the Same Colombian Snack
In October 2023, FSIS announced that East Coast Food Distributors of Hudson, New Hampshire, was recalling about 7,767 pounds of De Todito products imported from Colombia, including 45-gram and 165-gram BBQ, NATURAL, and LIMÓN bags. Those products went to restaurants and retail stores in Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Rhode Island.
In May 2025, FSIS issued a public health alert for De Todito and Golpe brand mixed chips with pork cracklings imported from Colombia between August 2024 and March 2025. Those products had been shipped to distributors in Florida and New York and to retail locations nationwide. FSIS did not request a recall because the products were no longer available for purchase.
Both earlier problems were found during routine FSIS surveillance. This time, the agency learned about the product through a consumer complaint.
Similar imported snacks from other ineligible countries have been pulled as well. In 2023, FSIS announced a recall of pork chicharrones imported from Honduras that reached stores in several Southern states, as well as a recall of pork rind snacks from Guatemala sold in the Northeast.
The Import Gap Behind Eligibility Rules
Meat, poultry, and egg products can enter the United States only from countries whose food safety inspection systems FSIS has determined to be equivalent to the U.S. system. Eligible imports must also be presented for FSIS reinspection at the border. Products from ineligible countries have not passed through that system at all.
FSIS publishes information on which countries and establishments are eligible, and importers are responsible for confirming that every meat ingredient comes from an approved source before products ship. Retailers that stock imported snacks can check the same information before placing orders.
Mixed snack bags create a particular blind spot. To a shopper, a bag of plantain and potato chips does not look like a meat product, and small importers may not realize that a pork ingredient places the entire item under USDA jurisdiction.
The repeated actions show that the same kind of product keeps reaching U.S. shelves despite earlier recalls and alerts. FSIS has not publicly explained how the latest shipment entered the country or whether other importers are handling the same items.
Households That Buy Latin American Snacks
The people most likely to have these snacks at home are shoppers at Latin American groceries, bodegas, and specialty stores in New Jersey and Utah, along with families who buy small bags for lunchboxes and parties. Because 45-gram bags are small, they can sit unnoticed in pantries, backpacks, cars, or office drawers.
FSIS is concerned that some product may still be in consumers’ pantries. Anyone who has the recalled bags should not eat them and should throw them away or return them to the place of purchase for a refund.
Families who shared the snacks at school events or gatherings do not need to seek testing if no one has symptoms. Discarding any remaining bags is the recommended step.
There is no evidence that anyone has become sick. However, because the meat was produced outside a recognized inspection system, FSIS advises anyone concerned about illness to contact a health care provider. Vomiting, diarrhea, fever, or stomach cramps after eating any snack warrant a call to a clinician. Bloody diarrhea, a high fever, or signs of dehydration such as very little urine or dizziness require urgent care, especially for young children, older adults, and pregnant people.
Enforcement Questions Still Open
FSIS routinely conducts recall effectiveness checks to confirm that recalling firms notify their customers and that products are removed from sale. When available, retail distribution lists are posted on the FSIS website, which can help shoppers confirm whether their store received the product.
Several questions remain unanswered. The number of bags already sold is not known, and it is not clear whether other distributors received shipments from the same import. It is also not clear how long the bags were on sale before the complaint reached FSIS. The recall could expand if more product is found.
The recalling firm is responsible for notifying the stores it supplied. Shoppers who bought the chips online or through a small market can contact the seller directly about returns.
Consumers with questions can call the USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline at 888-674-6854. People who shop at stores that carry imported snacks can check labels for a U.S. import mark or establishment number, and they can report suspicious products through the FSIS consumer complaint system, which is how this latest shipment came to light.
The bottom line: the health risk appears low, but the repeat problem is real. Shoppers in New Jersey and Utah should check pantries for the 45-gram bags, and regulators still need to explain how the same Colombian snack keeps getting through.
Key Questions Answered
Which products are being recalled? 45-gram foil bags of De Todito NATURAL and De Todito BBQ mixed chips containing CHICHARRÓN AMERICANO JACKS, Margarita, and NATU CHIPS, imported July 28, 2026.
Why were the chips recalled? The pork cracklings were produced in Colombia, which is not eligible to export meat products to the United States.
Where were the products sold? They were shipped to a distributor in New Jersey and to retail locations in New Jersey and Utah.
Has anyone gotten sick? No confirmed illnesses or injuries have been reported.
Has this happened before? Yes. FSIS announced a De Todito recall in 2023 and a public health alert in 2025 for similar products imported from Colombia.
What should consumers do? Do not eat the recalled bags. Throw them away or return them to the store where they were purchased.
Who can answer questions? The USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline is available at 888-674-6854.