CORAL GABLES, Fla. (November 2, 2026): Snack Right Super Foods, Inc., doing business as Brad’s Raw Chips, is recalling certain Brad’s Plant Based Crunchy Kale and Brad’s Veggie Chips Kale products because they may contain thallium, according to a company announcement posted by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The contaminant is a naturally occurring metal that can cause serious health effects at elevated exposure levels.
Brad’s Raw Chips recall: quick summary
The recall covers approximately 25,000 bags (about 2,097 cases) across four product varieties. The products entered commerce through nationwide distribution channels, including KeHE Distributors and United Natural Foods, Inc. (UNFI), as well as direct sales to five individual consumers. The affected inventory was distributed between October and December 2025.
Official recall details
- Recall Announcement Date: November 2, 2026
- FDA Publish Date: November 3, 2026
- FDA Posting Agency: U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
- Company: Snack Right Super Foods, Inc. dba Brad’s Raw Chips
- Announcement Dateline: Coral Gables, Florida
- Brand: Brad’s Plant Based
- Products: Brad’s Crunchy Kale and Brad’s Veggie Chips Kale
- Package Sizes: 2 oz (57 g) and 3 oz (85 g) bags
- Reason for Recall: Potential thallium contamination
- Quantity Affected: Approximately 25,000 bags (about 2,097 cases)
- Distribution Period: October 2025–December 2025
- Distribution: Nationwide through KeHE Distributors and United Natural Foods, Inc. (UNFI), with direct sales to five individual consumers
- Consumer Action: Stop consuming the affected products immediately and discard them. Do not return them to the place of purchase. Refunds are not being offered.
- Consumer Contact: Alexa Olvera at Snack Right Super Foods, Inc., [email protected], Monday–Friday, 10 a.m.–4 p.m. Eastern Time.
What happened?
The recall follows an earlier public health warning issued by California officials. On May 19, 2026, the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) warned consumers against eating certain Brad’s Plant Based products after laboratory testing of samples collected from Sacramento-area retailers detected elevated thallium levels in multiple varieties. At the time, the department reported that the manufacturer had been notified, but the products had not yet been recalled.
The November announcement describes a subsequent step: the company said it initiated the voluntary recall after the FDA notified it of thallium in tested products. The two announcements therefore document different stages of the response, from the state-level consumer warning to the company’s later recall action.
Affected products
The recall covers the following Brad’s Plant Based products, all sold in bags:
Product | Package size | UPC | Affected lot codes | Best By dates |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Brad’s Crunchy Kale, Original | 2 oz (57 g) | 813104021679 | 33525-1, 33525-2, 33525-3 | February 1, 2027 |
Brad’s Crunchy Kale, Original | 2 oz (57 g) | 813104021679 | 34525-1 | February 11, 2027 |
Brad’s Crunchy Kale, Original | 2 oz (57 g) | 813104021679 | 35125-2 | February 17, 2027 |
Brad’s Crunchy Kale, Cheeze It Up | 2 oz (57 g) | 813104021877 | 35025-3 | February 16, 2027 |
Brad’s Crunchy Kale, Radical Ranch | 2 oz (57 g) | 813104020726 | 29425-1 | December 21, 2026 |
Brad’s Veggie Chips Kale | 3 oz (85 g) | 854615002054 | 33225-3 | January 28, 2027 |
Brad’s Veggie Chips Kale | 3 oz (85 g) | 854615002054 | 33325-2 | January 29, 2027 |
Brad’s Veggie Chips Kale | 3 oz (85 g) | 854615002054 | 33425-1 | January 30, 2027 |
Brad’s Veggie Chips Kale | 3 oz (85 g) | 854615002054 | 33525-1 | February 1, 2027 |
Consumers should check the product name, UPC, lot number, and Best By date printed on the packaging to determine whether their bags are included in the recall.
Thallium in kale and dehydrated vegetable products
Thallium is a naturally occurring metal that can enter the food chain through plants grown in contaminated soil. A 2024 study published in Environmental Science & Technology examined thallium uptake in 25 Brassica cultivars under controlled thallium exposure conditions. Among the cultivars studied, kale (Brassica oleracea var. acephala) had the highest thallium translocation factor, indicating its capacity to move absorbed thallium from roots into above-ground tissues.
The findings provide relevant agricultural context for this recall, which involves kale-based products. However, the research does not identify the source of thallium in the recalled products or establish that the farms supplying the company used contaminated soil.
According to the company’s announcement, dehydration removed approximately 85% to 90% of the water from the kale, concentrating elements already present in the raw ingredient. Elevated thallium exposure can cause gastroenteritis, peripheral nerve damage and alopecia.
FSQA Insight
“Nature gives us good ingredients, but it doesn’t always guarantee clean ones.
Chemical contaminants, particularly heavy metals in plant-based ingredients, are not things we can spot with our eyes or catch through routine visual inspection. They require science, sound supplier controls, and risk-based analytical testing.
A good-looking COA is a start, but understanding the raw material’s origin, the risks along its supply chain, and having clearly defined acceptance criteria is what makes due diligence meaningful.
In food safety, the invisible risks can have the biggest consequences,” said Divina Grace Barroso, Head of FSQA at Source86.
What consumers should do
Consumers who purchased Brad’s Plant Based Crunchy Kale or Veggie Chips Kale should:
- Stop consuming the products immediately. Do not eat any bags matching the affected product descriptions, UPCs, and lot numbers.
- Discard the recalled products. The company specifically instructs consumers not to return them to the place of purchase.
- Do not expect a refund. Snack Right Super Foods is not offering refunds for the affected products.
- Contact the company with questions. Email Alexa Olvera at [email protected], Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Eastern Time. Consumers can expect a response within one business day.
- Seek medical advice if necessary. Anyone who believes they may have experienced adverse health effects after consuming the products should contact their health care provider.
Other relevant recalls
- SLR Food Distribution Recalls Wise Wife Ground Cinnamon Over Elevated Lead Levels
- Foods Alive Recalls Organic Moringa Leaf Powder Over Possible Salmonella Contamination
Behind the brand
Founded by Brad Gruno, Brad’s Raw Chips began as a small business selling homemade raw vegetable snacks at local farmers’ markets before expanding into retail. Today, Brad’s Plant Based offers a range of vegetable-based snacks, including kale chips and veggie chips, made using an air-drying process.
Regulatory context
Under FDA’s preventive controls regulations for human food, covered facilities must evaluate known or reasonably foreseeable chemical hazards as part of their food safety plans under 21 CFR § 117.130. If a facility’s hazard analysis identifies a hazard requiring a preventive control that will be applied in its supply chain, the facility must establish and implement a risk-based supply-chain program under 21 CFR § 117.405.
These requirements provide a regulatory framework for managing chemical hazards in food ingredients. However, the FDA-posted recall announcement does not establish that Snack Right Super Foods violated these regulations or identify a failure in its supplier controls.
Ensuring safe eats
For manufacturers and distributors handling vegetable-based snacks, traceability records should connect incoming ingredient lots with finished-product batches and their distribution destinations.
If a supplier alert or test result raises a food safety concern, these records can help companies identify affected production runs, locate inventory across distribution channels, and determine which customers need to be notified.
For food manufacturers sourcing kale and other vegetable ingredients, reliable supplier documentation and ingredient quality controls are essential. Contact Source86 to discuss ingredient sourcing, supplier verification, and food safety support for your next production run.
