The Brad’s kale chips recall covers about 25,000 bags of four products distributed from October through December 2025, according to the FDA’s recall notice, because testing found thallium in the chips. The company announced it Nov. 2.
California told shoppers to stop eating the chips on May 19, the state health department said. The company’s recall came 167 days later, a calculation from the two dates, and in that window the products stayed available in the lots the recall now lists.
What California Found in May
The California Department of Public Health began investigating after an individual with elevated thallium levels contacted it in January 2026 and said they had eaten Brad’s Plant Based kale products, the department said. Staff sampled grocery stores in the Sacramento area, and testing confirmed elevated thallium in eight varieties, including Crunchy Kale Original, Vampire Killer, Balsamic and Ranch Salad Snack.
The department said it notified the company and asked for a voluntary recall, and the products were still on the market when it issued its warning. The department said very high levels of thallium in food can cause hair loss and numbness in the hands and feet. It listed gastrointestinal and heart problems among other effects.
Which Products and Lots the FDA Recall Covers
The FDA’s list is narrower than California’s. The recall covers Crunchy Kale Original in 2-ounce bags (lots 33525-1, 33525-2, 33525-3, 34525-1 and 35125-2), Cheeze It Up in 2-ounce bags (lot 35025-3), Radical Ranch in 2-ounce bags (lot 29425-1) and Veggie Chips Kale in 3-ounce bags (lots 33225-3, 33325-2, 33425-1 and 33525-1). Best-by dates run from Dec. 21, 2026 to Feb. 17, 2027.
California named eight varieties. The FDA recall names four products and specific lots, so a bag of a variety California flagged may not be in the recall. About 2,097 cases shipped, the notice says, through the distributors KeHE and UNFI and directly to five consumers.
What the Company and the FDA Say
The company said it did not add thallium to the chips, according to the recall notice. It said thallium occurs naturally and that kale takes it up from soil, and it said dehydrating the kale removes about 85% to 90% of its water, which concentrates elements already in the leaves.
The FDA’s notice says acute or chronic exposure to thallium at relatively high levels can cause “serious adverse health effects.” It tells consumers to stop eating the chips immediately and throw them away. The company’s explanation answers how thallium could reach a bag without being added. It does not answer why the recall followed California’s warning by more than five months. The affected best-by dates start Dec. 21, 2026, so bags from the listed lots may still be in pantries.
