Cookies urgently recalled over mistaken ingredient that can cause choking

Cookies from Chips Ahoy! have been urgently recalled due to a potential choking hazards, health officials have warned.

Mondelēz Global LLC of New Jersey announced it is voluntarily recalling its Chips Ahoy! Baked Bites Brookie ‘because of an incorrect mixing process that resulted in the formation of small corn starch clumps in the product,’ according to the FDA.

The agency said that due to ‘the characteristics and size of the small starch clumps, the clump could constitute a choking hazard, particularly in special risk groups, such as young children and the elderly.’

The announcement is an expansion of the company’s previous December 2025 recall, now including an additional code date and two added UPCs. 

Products were ‘available at a limited number of retail stores nationwide,’ the FDA said, but the agency did not specify how many were affected or specific retail stores.

The recall includes pouches ranging from 1.4oz to 22.4oz and best by dates of May 2026. A full table of the recalled products can be found below. 

No other Chips Ahoy! or Mondelēz Global LLC products are included in, or affected by, this recall. There have also been no reports of illness or injury related to the recall. 

‘We are issuing this recall out of an abundance of caution,’ the company said.

The FDA urged customers who bought the products to avoid eating them and contact the company at 1-855-535-5948 Monday-Friday, 9 am to 6 pm eastern time for more information.

Roughly 5,000 Americans die from choking every year, the majority of whom are children and the elderly due to difficulty swallowing.

Children, for instance, have narrower airways that can be more easily be blocked with larger objects and are still learning proper chewing and swallowing, making them more prone to choking. 

Old age also naturally weakens swallow muscles, making it harder to effectively push food into the esophagus, and age-related tooth loss leads to chewing issues.  

Food is the leading cause of choking-related deaths in the US, with hot dogs being the most common culprit. 

Many foods recalled for choking hazards are contaminated with foreign materials such as plastic and glass. 

Earlier this month, Gerber Products Company recalled limited batches of Gerber Arrowroot Biscuits ‘out of an abundance of caution due to the potential presence of soft plastic and/or paper pieces that should not be consumed.’

Last year, Gerber issued another recall, as well as discontinuation of all batches of its Gerber Sooth N Chew Teething Sticks due to a potential choking hazard. 

The sticks were sold nationwide online and to distribution centers and retail stores across the country. The recall involved 3.2oz of strawberry apple and banana sticks and 1.59oz of banana sticks. 

Gerber issued the recall after receiving consumer complaints of ‘choking incidents.’ During the recall in January 2025, one emergency department visit was reported.