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Utz Potato Chips

melmak5

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melmak5 Contributor
melmak5
Posted

I just wrote this to Utz:

I am writing to formally request the following:

1. You remove the

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jerseyangel Proficient
jerseyangel
Posted

Interesting that you got an answer from them...I never did after I reacted to the chips.

The statement on their website does say that the chips are not run on dedicated lines, they wash in between runs, but can't guarantee that a slight residue doesn't remain.

I think what they meant by their answer to you is that they plan on including this cross contamination statement on the packaging in the future. Perhaps they have gotten many complaints?

I hope you feel beter soon--I stick to Lay's Stax Original Flavor chips, not the same as good old kettle-type chips, but safe.

melmak5 Contributor
melmak5
Posted
  • Author

Thanks JA, things are a little better, gut-wise... but I am suspecting its going to take a while. (I can at least make it through the night without be awoken with sharp abdominal pains, so there's a start :)

I was really surprised, they got back to me in less than 2 hours. I hope that their packaging will change soon, but yeah, I never thought I was as sensitive as I am.

I cannot eat the stax, but I fair well with Cape Cod Potato Chips.

blueeyedmanda Community Regular
blueeyedmanda
Posted

I would get sick on and off from their supposed gluten free homestyle chips. So then one day I tried the Wegmans chips which were the same style and marked gluten free. I never got sick so I never went back to Utz. The store brand is a bit cheapier anyway.

That does show good customer service that you get a response that quick.

Utz-is also from my neck of the woods!

GFinDC Veteran
GFinDC
Posted

I have been eating the Utz white corn tortilla chip rounds that are labeled gluten-free and haven't had a problem with those yet. I haven't tried the potato chips though.

blueeyedmanda Community Regular
blueeyedmanda
Posted

At work I eat the Utz dorito chips with no problems, but they only make them snack size so this is the only place I can get them :)

Ridgewalker Contributor
Ridgewalker
Posted

Wow, I didn't know so many have reacted to Utz! That's almost all I buy these days. Are the homestyle and kettle cooked types the only one people seem to react to? I've only gotten those a couple times. None of us have reacted to Utz so far. I usually get the ridged reduced fat, and the sour cream and onion. I've also gotten a couple different styles of their tortilla chips and the "dorito" type, with no problems.

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  • 4 months later...
LLatham Apprentice
LLatham
Posted

I just posted a new post in the 'products' section

I am having a SEVERE reaction to the newly labeled, newly gluten-free marked Honey BBQ flavor. I can't think of a word stronger than severe.

They were completely un-phased by my call to them informing them something is not OK, and had no answers for why if this flavor 'has been gluten-free for so long', why is there incorrect info on their website stating the chips, wavy or not in honey bbq AREN'T gluten-free..

I'm so angry.

  • 6 months later...
Jema Newbie
Jema
Posted

Nearly one year later, the promise they made to you in their email is still a fantasy. I bought a bag of utz chips yesterday, ate them last night and spent all day in the emergency room today. I was diagnosed as having Celiac last October. I've been doing extremely well on the diet and only bought the chips because they claimed to be "gluten free food" with absolutely no warning about cross-contamination. This is what I wrote in response to my experience today:

I must say that I am really disappointed in UTZ. You are irresponsibly mislabeling your products "gluten free", leading the consumer to believe that there is no danger of cross contamination. I have been diagnosed with Celiac disease and had been doing really well on the gluten free diet until eating your "crisp all natural potato chips". I spent all day in the emergency room today after reacting to your product.

I've have now visited several on-line forums related to your product misrepresentation. Many people have posted their communications to your company about this issue and your responses. A year ago a representative of your company assured one poster that you were going to change the labeling to include a warning about cross-contamination. Interestingly, the package I bought yesterday includes absolutely NO such warning - one year later no less. Has this package really been sitting in a warehouse for a whole year - or is your company really that greedy? You are willing to put the 100,000 diagnosed Americans (and an estimated additional 2.9 million undiagnosed) at risk because - what - you don't think Celiac disease is a real thing?

I want to let you know that I am beginning an aggressive anti-utz campaign and will be posting this information from blog spots to you-tube. I shall encourage other sufferers to do the same until your packaging changes. We 100,000 may not represent a large portion of your consumer base, but thanks to the internet we can really do some serious PR damage. Maybe when your company is visiting the metaphorical emergency room, puking and bleeding your profits away, the label will change? I guess we'll see.

Sorry UTZ. No-one should have to suffer what I suffered today simply because a greedy company doesn't feel like changing it's packaging.

With absolute sincerity,

Jema

I urge anyone who has had a similar experience to email the company then post your experience in every gluten-free blog spot you can find!!

Take care all.

sugarsue Enthusiast
sugarsue
Posted

Wow, we have done so well with Utz. I will pay close attention now though. Scary.

MySuicidalTurtle Enthusiast
MySuicidalTurtle
Posted

Crazy, I eat regular Utz a lot when I am in Baltimore. I like to get them made fresh at the market but also buy them at the store. Never had a problem.

  • 1 year later...
Tdrums Newbie
Tdrums
Posted

I got really sick from the Utz Honey BBQ potato chips that say they are gluten free. This company should not put gluten free on their packaging because none of their products are gluten free by any means.

  • 2 years later...
Katie C. Newbie
Katie C.
Posted

My celiac-diagnosed daughter got very sick because of the "gluten free" Utz honey BBQ chips, too. This is sad for me, as I grew up eating Utz chips in Baltimore and was so excited to see them in my grocery story here in Atlanta.

  • 1 year later...
orlandoiam Newbie
orlandoiam
Posted

I realize this is an old post, but what is happening with Utz?  Each time I have eaten a larg-ish amount (I tend to gorge when I finally give in to that urge :) ), I always get sick for several days afterwards.  Is there still a possiblity of cross-contamination? 

kareng Grand Master
kareng
Posted

I realize this is an old post, but what is happening with Utz?  Each time I have eaten a larg-ish amount (I tend to gorge when I finally give in to that urge :) ), I always get sick for several days afterwards.  Is there still a possiblity of cross-contamination? 

 

 

Is it  possible that there is something else in them bothering you?  Especially if you eat a lot at once?  Just a thought.

GF Lover Rising Star
GF Lover
Posted

I know they have MSG in them and some of the snack sizes are not gluten free.  The Website has alot of information on it if your concerned.

 

Colleen

  • 4 weeks later...
orlandoiam Newbie
orlandoiam
Posted

Thank  you-- I will consider it!  It may not have been the Utz. I ate a large amount of a sugary dessert (I typically don't have a sweet tooth...so hadn't thought of sugar possibly affecting me) for several days alongside potato chips...and I think it may have been the sugar!

powerofpositivethinking Community Regular
powerofpositivethinking
Posted

I'm glad this thread was revived because I just sent an e-mail to Utz!  I absolutely love their Utz Gourmet Natural Medley Chips, and it labels the bag "This is a Gluten Free Food," but that particular variety is not listed on their gluten free list as testing at 20ppm.  I'm hopeful maybe they forgot to put it on the list because it's a fantastic mix of russet, regular, sweet and blue potato chips.  One of my family members lives right down the street from the Utz factory in Hanover, PA, which I've toured and I grewup not far from the area, so I've always eaten that brand.  They sell those chips in most of the Wawa convenient stores in the Philly/Delaware area, and I thought they were a safe food.  I also love Wawa!!  Have I been unintentionally glutening myself?  I eat them a few times a week <_<   I won't be buying them until I get a response, but I do see that the Utz Natural Lightly Salted Potato Chips are listed as safe, so I'll eat those until I get an answer.  Keeping my fingers crossed...

  • 2 weeks later...
orlandoiam Newbie
orlandoiam
Posted

Is it  possible that there is something else in them bothering you?  Especially if you eat a lot at once?  Just a thought.

Not sure...but they according to several people on here, they aren't made on dedicated lines.  I'm pretty sure I'm just one of the sensitive ones. :)

  • 1 month later...
user001 Contributor
user001
Posted

I recently ate their regular crinkle chips and i was ok, my brother gave me the bag and it was marked gluten free with no disclaimer. I have never even seen their kettle chips but i will stick with what i know is ok.

 

Also wegmans has the best chips and I have never had a problem with any of their products that were marked gluten free. In fact ive been known to over indulge a bit much with their dill dip and crinkle chips :/ Because they are both marked with the big G for gluten free and they are so darn tasty. That dill dip is great as a vegetable dip too for when Im not being bad.

w8in4dave Community Regular
w8in4dave
Posted

I have a problem with Potato Chips. Not because of the Gluten but corn bothers me. Also Soy, I have found Better Made chip That I don't react to. I also like Beanito's. The Beanitos are very good! Made with Beans taste more like a Corn chip w/o the corn. They are Gluten Free and Corn free GMO free and a list of alot of other things free. I recently talked the lil store down the road to get some and they are flavored. Still gluten-free and CF Yay! Sf and GMO F!! Yay! I am in love! 

babybaby987 Newbie
babybaby987
Posted

I have a problem with Potato Chips. Not because of the Gluten but corn bothers me. Also Soy, I have found Better Made chip That I don't react to. I also like Beanito's. The Beanitos are very good! Made with Beans taste more like a Corn chip w/o the corn. They are Gluten Free and Corn free GMO free and a list of alot of other things free. I recently talked the lil store down the road to get some and they are flavored. Still gluten-free and CF Yay! Sf and GMO F!! Yay! I am in love! 

Where do you get the beanitos?

  • 3 weeks later...
newyorkyankz Newbie
newyorkyankz
Posted

I got sick from the utz sour creme last night... Typically I get gluten reactions about 6 hours after eating something, and this isn't the first time ive thought it was utz....  Everything else I ate that day was made by myself so I know it wasn't contaminated...

w8in4dave Community Regular
w8in4dave
Posted

Where do you get the beanitos?

I get them at a grocery store Krogers , and Meijers in the health food section. 

  • 2 months later...
powerofpositivethinking Community Regular
powerofpositivethinking
Posted

so I never came back to post, and my favorite chips were safe, but due to knew manufacturing procedures they no longer are.  It was like having the wind knocked out of my sails when I saw the new packaging and the line on the back that said, "Processed on a production line with other products that contain milk, wheat and soy."  

 

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