The Big Problem Aldi Shoppers Have With Its Clancy's Chip Bags

Salty, crunchy, and irresistible. There's nothing like ripping open a bag of potato chips, munching on this devilishly delicious snack, and licking your fingers as you go (hey, we all do it!). There's a reason you can never have just one — when it comes to satisfying indulgences, this salty snack checks all of the boxes. They're typically made from three simple ingredients — salt, vegetable oil, and potatoes — so it's even possible to make potato chips at home with a simple recipe. 

And when it comes to buying the crunchy treat, the world is your oyster. From Pringles to Lays, Sun Chips to Cheetos, there are entire aisles dedicated to this popular snack at grocery stores. But as far as potato chip brands go, you can't go wrong with Clancy's. This Aldi-exclusive product was named "best overall potato chip" in a blind taste test conducted by Taste of Home who described the brand as "ranked well in flavor, saltiness, crunch, appearance, and dip-ability. It could be the perfect chip!" Now that's high praise!

While it sounds like Clancy's meets all of the standard chip criteria, there is one thing that keeps it from being the perfect snack for couch potatoes. 

While the flavor profile of Clancy's chips may be delectable, the packaging of this Aldi product is less than pristine. In a recent Reddit post, user DinoReads shared a picture of a Clancy's chip bag ripped nearly all the way down the side. Their caption reads "Dear Clancy's, I love you. Can I have a better bag?"

Evidently, this chip packaging needs to be handled with care, and ripping a bag wide open with your bare hands might not be the best idea. In response to the original poster's dilemma, user OK_Reality148 responded with some sage advice: "Cut open all of the bags like this with scissors or this happens." Now that's definitely worth the extra trip to the kitchen!

It usually seems like plastic bags either open too easily or not all. But whether we like it or not, chips are packaged this way for a reason. According to Aaron Brody, a food packaging consultant and a professor of food science at the University of Georgia, chip bags are made out of a plastic called oriented propylene to provide a moisture barrier. This is important "because potato chips first start to deteriorate by absorbing moisture. People don't like soggy chips," Brody shares in an interview with NPR.

Now you know — and with a few extra steps, your chips and the bag they come in can be saved next time you sit down to enjoy them.