A Once-Popular Costco Product Seems To Have Gone Missing (And Good Riddance)

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Costco isn't just a place to stock up on bulk essentials. It's also the only way to get your hands on Kirkland Signature products. Members of the warehouse retailer regularly rave about Costco's exclusive brand, which features groceries, attire, pet supplies, home goods, bakery items, and lots more. Costco often gets its private label goods right, as illustrated by the Kirkland Signature foods to try before you die (bacon, maple syrup, and rotisserie chicken were mentioned). The store is not infallible, however, and even once-lauded products can decline in quality and end up in the discontinued bin. We're wondering if that's the fate that befell Kirkland Signature organic tortilla chips. 

These controversial chips are conspicuously absent from the store's website, and we've had trouble tracking them down in warehouses. They've been subject to harsh online criticism and were even dubbed "inedible" by a dissatisfied Costco member on Reddit. Another shopper admitted, "I was surprised at how bad [Costco's] tortilla chips were." In a separate Reddit thread, the original poster declared that Kirkland tortilla chips are "A dental visit waiting to happen ... The flavor is somewhat reminiscent of stale Fritos."

It's a bit of an open secret that store-exclusive brands like Kirkland Signature are sometimes manufactured by big companies. As for the company behind Costco's organic tortilla chips, this product was previously made by Mission Foods, as indicated on its packaging from a few years ago. The labeling has since changed, which means Costco possibly switched manufacturers. Could that explain the drop in quality? Hard to say. 

While we don't know who or what is responsible for the tortilla chips' decline, customers have been vocal about why they no longer like them. On Reddit, a Costco member explained, "[Kirkland Signature organic tortilla ships] went from being more soft, large, salted, and flavorful of corn – to now being brittle, tiny, barely any salt, and mostly flavorless." 

If you're seeking replacement tortilla chips, there are other options. Las Fortunitas corn tortilla chips are available at select Costco locations. One Redditor lauded the Las Fortunitas brand, explaining, "I was still eating from the bag a month [after purchase], and they were still nice and crispy." Something else to keep in mind is that a homemade tortilla chips recipe is pretty simple to execute, and the results can be just as crunchy and flavorful as the best store brands.