My guess would be that the OU does not have the power to demand a recall.
If that were true, that would be a much bigger problem than the occasional oversight. They should have a contract with their supervised companies forcing a recall when a serious kashrus concern arises.
The OU not only supervises OU foods and establishments (obviously), but is used by many, many other hechsheirim (both in manufacturing of foods and eateries) for ingredients and such.
Although that’s true, other agencies can pick and choose which products they allow based on OU supervision. The typical consumer is not as well educated as other kashrus agencies to be able to make such distinctions.
This is not a case of basar b’chalav — it’s not as if the chips themselves were cooked with meat —
Correct.
they’re still 100% kosher.
We can nitpick on the term 100%.
In addition, very few, if any people, are going to cook their potato chips with meat.
Agreed. In a broad sense, though, the issur of basar b’chalav includes eating dairy with meat, as well as within six hours (according to each one’s minhag).
Also, aside from bb”c, many are machmir not to eat milk products which rely on the heter of chalav stam, so mislabeling a product is problematic anyhow.
My original limud z’chus still stands, though.