Are Your Brad's Kale Chips Recalled? Thallium Lot Codes

Snack Right Super Foods, doing business as Brad's Raw Chips, announced on November 2, 2026 that it is recalling certain Brad's Plant Based Crunchy Kale (2 oz) and Brad's Veggie Chips Kale (3 oz) bags because they may contain thallium. FDA posted the recall notice on November 3, 2026. The recall covers only specific UPCs and lot numbers with Best By dates from December 21, 2026 through February 17, 2027, so bags need to be checked against the notice before a decision is made.

Key takeaways

• Snack Right Super Foods (Brad's Raw Chips) announced the recall on November 2, 2026, and FDA posted the notice on November 3, 2026.
• The recall lists four products and specific UPCs and lots, including Veggie Chips Kale UPC 854615002054 (Lots 33225-3, 33325-2, 33425-1 and 33525-1).
• The notice says to stop eating and discard listed product. Refunds are not being offered, and product should not be returned to the store.
• The FDA notice says high-level exposure can cause gastroenteritis, peripheral nerve damage and hair loss.
• The recall follows a May 19, 2026 California Department of Public Health warning (NR26-021) and a May 22, 2026 Los Angeles County warning.

What happened

Snack Right Super Foods announced the recall on November 2, 2026, and FDA published its notice on November 3, 2026. The firm is based in Coral Gables, Florida, and does business as Brad's Raw Chips. The products are Brad's Plant Based Crunchy Kale in 2 oz (57g) bags and Brad's Veggie Chips Kale in 3 oz (85g) bags, and the notice says they may contain thallium.

The recall was initiated after FDA advised the firm that thallium had been found in tested products, according to the FDA notice.

Are Brad's kale chips recalled?

Yes, certain Brad's Plant Based Crunchy Kale (2 oz) and Veggie Chips Kale (3 oz) bags are recalled. The recall applies only to the UPCs and lot numbers listed in the FDA notice, not to every bag under the Brad's name.

Why were Brad's kale chips recalled?

The bags were recalled because they may contain thallium. The FDA notice describes thallium as a naturally occurring metal in soil and sulfur-based minerals that plants can absorb. The firm says its manufacturing process did not introduce the contaminant. Dehydration removes approximately 85 to 90 percent of the product's water, which concentrates elements already present in fresh kale, according to the company's statement in the notice.

What changed

The change is a formal recall of four products with named UPCs, lot numbers and Best By dates. In May 2026, California issued a consumer warning without a recall, because the company had refused a voluntary recall at that time, according to the California Department of Public Health.

The recall also sets out consumer instructions. The notice says consumers should stop eating the product and discard it. Refunds are not being offered, and product should not be returned to the place of purchase. Consumers with questions can email the company's recall contact, Alexa Olvera, on weekdays from 10 AM to 4 PM Eastern; the address is listed in the FDA notice.

For another recent case where a metal contaminant led to a recall, see Great Value Fruit Cocktail Recall: Lead in Walmart Cans.

Who is affected

The recall covers four Brad's Plant Based products, each identified by UPC and lot number. The notice says the bags were distributed nationwide through KeHE Distributors and United Natural Foods (UNFI), and that five individual consumers were sold product directly. About 25,000 bags (about 2,097 cases) are estimated to have been in commerce, with distribution occurring between October 2025 and December 2025.

Brad's kale chips recall lot numbers

The Veggie Chips Kale 3 oz bag (UPC 854615002054) includes lots 33225-3 (Best By January 28, 2027), 33325-2 (Best By January 29, 2027), 33425-1 (Best By January 30, 2027) and 33525-1 (Best By February 1, 2027). The full list for each product is below.

• Crunchy Kale, Original, 2 oz (UPC 813104021679): Lots 33525-1, 33525-2 and 33525-3 (Best By February 1, 2027), Lot 34525-1 (Best By February 11, 2027) and Lot 35125-2 (Best By February 17, 2027).
• Crunchy Kale, Cheeze It Up, 2 oz (UPC 813104021877): Lot 35025-3 (Best By February 16, 2027).
• Crunchy Kale, Radical Ranch, 2 oz (UPC 813104020726): Lot 29425-1 (Best By December 21, 2026).
• Veggie Chips Kale, 3 oz (UPC 854615002054): Lots 33225-3, 33325-2, 33425-1 and 33525-1, as listed above.

Lot 33525-1 appears under both the Crunchy Kale Original and the Veggie Chips Kale entries. Because the same lot number can be used across different products, check the UPC and lot together.

The FDA notice does not state the thallium concentration in any lot, and it does not say how many people have been affected beyond the individual CDPH described. Those details were not disclosed in the notice.

What it means for shoppers

If a bag matches a listed brand, UPC, lot and Best By date, the FDA notice says to stop eating it, discard it, and not return it to the place of purchase. If the bag does not match, the notice does not list it as recalled.

A practical label check looks like this:

• Find the UPC on the back panel and confirm it matches one of the four listed codes.
• Find the lot code and Best By date on the package.
• Confirm that the bag size matches the recall entry (2 oz or 3 oz), since the two sizes carry different UPCs.
• Compare all three details. A matching brand name alone does not mean a bag is included.

Four flavors named in the May 2026 California warning are not listed in the November FDA notice: Brad's Plant Based Crunchy Kale Vampire Killer, Nacho, Balsamic Salad Snack and Ranch Salad Snack. The notice does not address whether those products are part of any recall.

Refunds are not being offered. The FDA notice lists the company's email contact for questions about the recall.

The background

The recall follows a California investigation that began after a January 2026 inquiry from an individual with elevated thallium levels. On May 19, 2026, CDPH (NR26-021) warned consumers to avoid eight Brad's Plant Based products after lab tests found elevated thallium. CDPH said the manufacturer had been asked to recall the products voluntarily and had refused at that time. CDPH also said the products are distributed from Pennsylvania and labeled "Product of Mexico."

CDPH's investigation also included retail sampling in the Sacramento area, which found elevated levels in multiple varieties. Los Angeles County Public Health issued its own consumer warning on May 22, 2026.

What is thallium in kale chips?

Thallium is a naturally occurring metal found in soil and sulfur-based minerals. The FDA notice says plants can take it up, particularly Brassicaceous plants, the plant family that includes kale. The notice also says acute or chronic exposure at relatively high levels can cause gastroenteritis, damage to peripheral nerves and alopecia (hair loss).

The notice does not say what thallium level would be considered unsafe in these products, and it does not state the level measured in any lot.

What to watch next

The next steps to watch are any updated FDA recall classification, any change to the refund policy, and any further action on the four California-listed flavors that are not in the November notice. The FDA notice does not give dates for any of these steps.