What is that hard, pingpong-ball-size thing in my bag of potato chips?

A couple of weeks ago, I was getting lunch at a local deli. I ordered what I always do – half a meatball sub and a salad – and I grabbed a bag of cracked-pepper-and-sea-salt potato chips. Dirty brand. Because I love that brand’s chips. The bag promises “all natural,” kettle-cooked chips, prepared “in a premium peanut-oil blend for a crunchier, tastier potato chip!” And they usually are crunchy and tasty and worth a buck or so.

Usually.

But when I popped open this particular bag and put the first chip in my mouth, it was soggy. I spit it out. Then I noticed that all of the chips inside were mushy – except for a round, hard object the size of a pingpong ball.