Brad’s Plant Based Recalls About 25,000 Bags of Crunchy Kale and Veggie Chips Kale for Possible Thallium

What to do now

What’s recalled

All four products are bags sold under the Brad’s Plant Based name. These are the lots and Best By dates on the FDA-posted notice:

Only the lots listed are part of the recall. The notice doesn’t name any other lots or anything made after December 2025.

Refunds are not being offered, and the product should not be returned to the place of purchase.The WellWham perspective

Where it went

Per the notice, the products “were distributed nationwide through KeHE Distributors and United Natural Foods, Inc. (UNFI), and sold directly to five individual consumers.” It says “Approximately 25,000 bags (about 2,097 cases) of the recalled products are estimated to be in commerce” and that distribution happened between October 2025 and December 2025.

KeHE and UNFI are wholesale distributors that supply grocery stores. The notice doesn’t name any stores, so we can’t tell you which shops carried these lots.

Why thallium matters

The notice describes thallium as “a naturally occurring metal found in the soil and in sulfur-based minerals” that “can be taken up by plants and vegetables.” It says “Acute or chronic exposure to thallium at relatively high levels can result in serious adverse health effects, including gastroenteritis, damage to peripheral nerves, and alopecia (hair loss).”

How it was found

In May 2026, the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) advised consumers not to eat certain Brad’s Plant Based products “after it investigated an inquiry from one individual with elevated thallium levels,” according to the notice. CDPH collected samples at retail stores in the Sacramento area, and “laboratory testing found elevated thallium levels in multiple varieties.”

The notice says the recall started after FDA told the company about thallium in tested products. It doesn’t give a count of illnesses.

The company’s explanation, per the notice: kale and other brassica crops are known to pull certain elements from soil. It says its manufacturing “did not introduce the contaminant,” but dehydration removes about 85 to 90 percent of the water, which “concentrates elements already present in the fresh kale.”

Questions

The notice lists email only, with no phone number. Contact Alexa Olvera at Snack Right Super Foods, Inc. at alexandra@thesnackright.com, Monday through Friday, 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time. The notice says to expect a reply within one business day.

Our read: dried snacks concentrate what’s in the plant

This is our analysis. The company’s own explanation is the useful part here. A dehydrated snack holds whatever the fresh vegetable pulled from the ground, in a smaller bag. It’s the same story as the Wise Wife cinnamon lead recall: a natural-sounding product with a metal problem that started before it was made.

The no-refund policy is the part that stands out. Most recall notices tell you to bring the product back for your money. This one says not to.

Reality check

This is a company announcement that FDA posted as a public service. FDA says it doesn’t endorse the product or the company, and the notice says the recall “is being conducted with the knowledge of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.” The recall covers specific lots only. The photo at the top is a Brad’s Plant Based pack shot of the recalled Radical Ranch 2 oz flavor and size, not a photo of the recalled lot itself. Use the table to check your bag.

The close

Kale chips are supposed to be the snack you don’t have to think about.

This time, check the lot number before the next handful.

Disclosure: WellWham has no affiliate links in this story.

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