Consumer News: Costco is quietly fixing one of its most frustrating bakery rules

The chips were distributed to nationwide retailers

By Mark Huffman of ConsumerAffairs

• Utz Quality Foods has issued a voluntary recall of certain Zapps and Dirty potato chips in the U.S.

• The recall stems from a seasoning ingredient that may be contaminated with Salmonella.

• No illnesses have been reported, but consumers are urged not to eat affected products.

Utz Quality Foods is recalling limited varieties of its Zapps and Dirty brand potato chips after a supplier flagged a potential contamination issue, according to a U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) notice.

The Hanover, Pennsylvania-based snack maker said the recall was initiated after it was notified that a seasoning ingredient used in certain products may contain Salmonella, a bacteria that can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections.

The affected chips were distributed to various retailers in the United States, though the recall applies only to specific flavors and production lots tied to the seasoning ingredient.

Salmonella infection can lead to symptoms such as fever, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, and abdominal pain. In rare cases, it can result in more severe illness, particularly among young children, the elderly, and people with weakened immune systems.

No reports of illness

Utz said it has not received any reports of illness related to the recalled products.

The recall follows notification from a third-party supplier that a seasoning containing dry milk powder could be contaminated, prompting the company to act out of an abundance of caution, according to the FDA notice.

Consumers who have purchased the affected chips are advised not to eat them and instead discard the products or return them to the place of purchase for a refund. Retailers have been instructed to remove impacted items from store shelves.

Zapps, known for its Cajun-style kettle chips, and Dirty chips are both brands owned by Utz Quality Foods.

Food recalls are typically issued when a product may pose a health risk due to contamination or mislabeling, and federal agencies advise consumers to check product details carefully to determine whether items they have purchased are affected.

The FDA said it continues to monitor the recall as part of its ongoing food safety oversight.

New research shows small increases in daily movement may lower disease risk

• Findings from a recent study found that adding about 1,700 to 5,500 steps per day was linked to lower risk of several chronic diseases.

• The study used real-world Fitbit data from more than 15,000 adults over time.

• Extra steps helped offset but not completely erase risks tied to long periods of sitting.

If you spend a big chunk of your day sitting at a desk, in the car, or on the couch youre not alone. Researchers have long linked sedentary time to a higher risk of chronic conditions, from diabetes to heart disease.

But new research suggests there may be a practical way to push back against some of those risks: simply moving more throughout the day.

The study, led by researchers connected to Vanderbilt Health and published in Nature Communications, looked at whether increasing daily step counts could help counteract the health effects of prolonged sitting. Instead of focusing on intense workouts, the research zeroed in on something more accessible everyday steps.

How the study worked

To explore this, researchers analyzed data from 15,327 adults participating in the National Institutes of Healths All of Us research program. Each participant used a Fitbit device, which tracked their daily steps and sedentary time over extended periods.

This approach gave scientists a detailed, real-world look at behavior not just snapshots or self-reported activity. The dataset also included electronic health records and other health measures, allowing researchers to connect movement patterns with new diagnoses of chronic disease over time.

The study specifically compared people with varying levels of sedentary behavior including those sitting for as long as 14 hours a day and examined how increasing daily steps influenced their risk of developing conditions like obesity, diabetes, and hypertension.

What the researchers found

The results point to a clear pattern: more steps were associated with lower risk for many chronic conditions. In particular, adding between 1,700 and 5,500 steps per day helped offset the increased risks linked to long periods of sitting.

The number of extra steps needed varied by condition. For example, about 1,700 additional daily steps were linked to lower risk of obesity and liver disease, while higher increases around 5,300 to 5,500 steps were associated with reduced risk of diabetes and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

However, the findings werent universal. Increasing step counts did not fully offset the risks of coronary artery disease or heart failure, suggesting that movement alone may not completely counteract the effects of prolonged sedentary time for every condition.

Overall, the study suggests that while sitting less is still important, adding more movement even in modest amounts may play a meaningful role in lowering the risk of several chronic diseases.

Many of us have to be in seats most of the day, researcher Evan Brittain, MD, MSCI, said in a news release.

This is a bit of an empowering message to say, even if youre stuck there for a number of hours, this is a strategy to offset that. Its a practical way to convey evidence around disease risk.

How team-based care helped patients lower their numbers

• A multi-part care strategy significantly lowered blood pressure in low-income patients.

• The approach combined team-based care, home monitoring, and structured treatment protocols.

• Patients in the intervention group saw larger improvements than those receiving standard care.

High blood pressure, or hypertension, affects nearly half of U.S. adults, yet many people still struggle to keep it under control.

Even though medications and lifestyle changes are widely available, large numbers of patients especially those in lower-income communities dont reach recommended targets.

Researchers have long known that lowering systolic blood pressure can reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke, but translating those goals into real-world clinical settings has been more complicated.

A new study from UT Southwestern, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, explores whether a more structured, team-driven approach could help close that gap. Instead of relying solely on traditional doctor visits, the strategy brings together multiple layers of support designed to make blood pressure management more consistent and accessible.

Poor hypertension control is a major clinical and public health challenge. This effective, sustainable, and scalable implementation strategy should be widely adopted in the U.S. to improve hypertension control, researcher Jiang He, M.D., M.S., Ph.D., said in a news release.

How the study was conducted

To test this approach, researchers partnered with 36 federally funded health centers in Louisiana and Mississippi that serve medically underserved populations.

Clinics were randomly assigned to either implement the new intervention or continue with enhanced usual care, which included standard guideline training and blood pressure measurement practices.

The intervention itself was multifaceted. Care teams included not just primary care providers, but also nurses and community health workers who shared responsibility for managing patients hypertension. Providers followed a structured treatment protocol based on intensive blood pressure targets, while patients monitored their blood pressure at home multiple times per week. These readings were shared with the care team, allowing for ongoing adjustments.

Additional components included health coaching to support medication adherence and lifestyle changes, as well as regular audits and feedback on blood pressure data to help clinicians refine care.

In total, 1,272 adults with uncontrolled hypertension participated in the study, with an average age of about 59.

What the researchers found

After 18 months, patients in clinics using the team-based strategy experienced a greater reduction in systolic blood pressure compared to those receiving usual care. On average, the intervention group saw a drop of 16 mm Hg, while the comparison group had a reduction of 9 mm Hg.

The intervention group also showed better adherence to the treatment strategy overall, suggesting that the structured, supportive approach made it easier for both patients and providers to stay on track.

Importantly, rates of serious side effects were similar between the two groups, indicating that the more intensive strategy did not introduce additional safety concerns.

Taken together, the findings suggest that a coordinated, team-based model can make a measurable difference in blood pressure control, even in settings with limited resources. Researchers note that this type of approach could potentially be expanded to other clinics to improve outcomes for patients who have historically faced barriers to effective hypertension management.

The chips were distributed to nationwide retailers

By Mark Huffman of ConsumerAffairs

• Utz Quality Foods has issued a voluntary recall of certain Zapps and Dirty potato chips in the U.S.

• The recall stems from a seasoning ingredient that may be contaminated with Salmonella

• No illnesses have been reported, but consumers are urged not to eat affected products

Utz Quality Foods is recalling limited varieties of its Zapps and Dirty brand potato chips after a supplier flagged a potential contamination issue, according to a U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) notice.

The Hanover, Pennsylvania-based snack maker said the recall was initiated after it was notified that a seasoning ingredient used in certain products may contain Salmonella, a bacteria that can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections.

The affected chips were distributed to various retailers in the United States, though the recall applies only to specific flavors and production lots tied to the seasoning ingredient.

Salmonella infection can lead to symptoms such as fever, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain. In rare cases, it can result in more severe illness, particularly among young children, the elderly and people with weakened immune systems.

No reports of illness

Utz said it has not received any reports of illness related to the recalled products.

The recall follows notification from a third-party supplier that a seasoning containing dry milk powder could be contaminated, prompting the company to act out of an abundance of caution, according to the FDA notice.

Consumers who have purchased the affected chips are advised not to eat them and instead discard the products or return them to the place of purchase for a refund. Retailers have been instructed to remove impacted items from store shelves.

Zapps, known for its Cajun-style kettle chips, and Dirty chips are both brands owned by Utz Quality Foods.

Food recalls are typically issued when a product may pose a health risk due to contamination or mislabeling, and federal agencies advise consumers to check product details carefully to determine whether items they have purchased are affected.

The FDA said it continues to monitor the recall as part of its ongoing food safety oversight.