Why the change in bag design again?

After nearly 37 years of business, we thought it was time for the Downey's Potato Chip brand to get an entirely fresh, new look. We really wanted to use our brand and bag to tell our customers who we are and what makes Downey's different. After about a year of work, we are finally excited for all of our customers to see it on the shelves. So, yes, our bag looks a bit different now and we've got a new logo but we're still the same Downey's, we promise! Same great taste, same ingredients. It was just a time for us to get a little makeover. We hope you're as excited about it as we are!

 

Why do your chips taste different than they did a few years ago? Did you change something?

Great question. We know a lot of people are confused by this! We're happy to explain. A few years ago we moved from partially hydrogenated vegetable (soybean) oil (originally blended with peanut oil) to sunflower oil.

 

The reason for this change being that, in June 2018, the FDA (U.S. Food and Drug Administration) required all processed and packaged foods in the United States to remove all partially hydrogenated oils from their ingredients, citing that it could prevent thousands of heart attacks and deaths each year. Since we cooked our chips in partially hydrogenated vegetable oil, we were required to change the oil in which we cook our chips in order to continue selling our beloved Downey's. It was the partially hydrogenated oil that gave Downey’s that unique taste so that is why our chips do taste a bit different now. Any changes we had to make were in order to stay compliant with FDA regulations and to allow us to stay in business. If you’re interested in reading more about the final FDA determination, you can read here and here.

 

After the FDA released its final determination that Partially Hydrogenated Oils (PHOs) are not Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS), we tested multiple different oils and combinations to get the best, highest quality product and we landed confidently with sunflower oil. Sunflower oil is of a much healthier and higher quality than the partially hydrogenated vegetable oil we transitioned from so we're really proud of that.

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Unfortunately we won’t be able to bring back our original recipe as it would be against FDA regulations to do so now.  We know this may be hard to hear for some but, as a small, family business this was a tough change to navigate for us as well so we hope you understand why we had to make the changes that we did.

 

Have your chips always been kettle cooked? They taste crunchier nowadays.

Yes - our chips have always been kettle-cooked! We've been making them in small batches in the same kettle since 1984 (why fix what's not broken, right?!) The change in taste you’re probably detecting can be attributed to our required change in oil in 2018. Not only did the new oil change the taste of the chips but it changed other characteristics of the chips as well such as how flat or folded the chips turn out, their color and overall appearance, as well as the consistency and 'crunch' of the chips.

 

Why did you transition to a smaller bag for the same price?

We moved to an 8oz. bag  as we were previously selling what the market considers a ‘family-sized’ bag at a price we could no longer sustain as our new sunflower oil is much higher quality and, thus, sufficiently more expensive than the partially hydrogenated oil that we previously used. 

 

Where are you located? Do you have multiple facilities?

We are located at 4709 Highland Rd. Waterford Michigan. Nope - just this one right now! We make everything right here in Waterford.

 

Do you have a storefront?

We do have a storefront! It's located at our facility at 4709 Highland Rd. Waterford, MI 48328. We are open Monday-Friday 11AM-4PM and currently closed on the weekends.

 

Do you provide tours of your facility?

We don't provide tours of our facility at this time but we're working to see if we can in the future!

 

Do you ship?

We do ship! Please give us a call at (248) 673-3636 11AM-4PM Monday-Friday and we would be happy to get an order packed and shipped out for you!

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Do you have an online ordering platform?

We don't currently have an online ordering platform. We only take orders over the phone for the time being.

 

Do you do donations or large orders?

Please give us a call for donation and large order requests!

 

What stores can I find Downey's in?

Many! Head to our store locator page to find stores near you! If you have additional questions about where you can find Downey's, reach out to us at info@downeyschips.com or call us at (248) 673-3636 and we will be happy to help you.

 

Are your products allergen free?

• All of our products are free of peanuts and tree nuts.

• All of our products are soy-free.

• All of our products are lab-tested gluten free.

• Our Vinegar and Sea Salt flavor contains dairy and is processed on the same equipment that is used to make our other products. It is noted on each of our bags under our ingredient list that the product either contains milk or is manufactured on equipment that also processes products containing milk. We do a specific allergen cleaning process after we produce our dairy-containing product but cannot guarantee that no cross-contamination occurred.

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Are these gluten free?

Yes! All of our flavors are certified, lab-tested gluten free. If you have any concerns, please reach out to us and we would be happy to provide you with our lab's certificate of analysis.

 

Are these trans-fat free?

Yes! We cook our chips in sunflower oil which is 100% trans-fat free!

 

How can I become a retailer for Downey's Potato Chip products?

We love the enthusiasm! Please reach out to us at info@downeyschips.com to chat with us about becoming a retailer!

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I have a different question - how do I get ahold of you?

As a small, family company we deeply value transparency, accessibility and customer satisfaction. If you ever have any questions, comments, or concerns at all, please feel free to give us a call at (248) 673-3636 and you can speak directly to us. 

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What are some great recipes with your chips?

We're glad you asked, Click Here!

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How can i stay up on what downey's Potato Chips is doing?

We have an article section of our website, we would love for you to check it out by clicking HERE!

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