Over the years, customers have noticed their favorite tortilla chops have fewer chips now than in the past. First, Late July Snacks, then Santitas Tortilla Chips, and now Calidad. Many people are fed up with this, including TikTok user @makemonieb, who called out Calidad for its mostly empty bags of tortilla chips.
While standing in the chip aisle, she asks, “Yo, what the [expeltetive] is this?” Then, she picks up a bag of Calidad Corn Tortilla Chips off the shelf. “Where’s the chips? It’s, like, full of air,” the content creator says, noting only about a third of the bag has chips. However, that isn’t the only one. When @makemonieb unveils the entire shelf of Calidad chips, they are all only filled a third of the way.
The Daily Dot reached out to @makemonieb via TikTok comment and direct message as well as Gruma Corporation (Calidad's parent company) via media contact form.
Viewers share their thoughts
Most cracked jokes about the lack of chips.
“It's 2025, we pay for air now,” one viewer quipped.
“We buying the air now not the chips anymore,” a second joked.
“Chips sold separately,” a third jested.
Furthermore, others recommended making homemade tortilla chips to save money.
“Buy a cheap pack of corn tortillas and make your own at that point,” one viewer suggested.
“Cheaper to buy a pack of tortillas and fry them,” another echoed.
What is going on with tortilla chips?
There are several reasons why your favorite chips are mostly air. For instance, the bag doesn’t contain air; it's nitrogen. The harmless gas preserves the contents in the bag, keeping them fresh. Moreover, the space protects the chips during their travels from the production plant to their destination.
Although the common joke that chips are mostly air has been around for years, a case of shrinkflation is another cause. Unfortunately, chips are charged by the bag's weight, not the size.
@makemonieb where's the chips?!?!?!
♬ original sound - makemonieb
Is it cheaper to make your homemade tortilla chips?
It can be if you have all the ingredients: tortillas, lime juice, vegetable oil, salt, cumin, and chili powder. Here is a quick recipe from Allrecipes:
- Cut the tortillas into triangles
- Put the lime juice and vegetable oil into a spray bottle and spray the chips
- Sprinkle the seasonings
- Bake for 25 minutes. Be sure to flip them halfway so they don’t burn
- Enjoy!
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