.... PARCELS.

Yes, they can be mailed First Class at a rate of $1.71.
Good luck with your appeal to the USPS, but as someone else has commented, no matter what your local USPS representative says, chances are the the recipient on the other end may wind up with a postage due charge.

If anyone wants to mail chips in a plain envelope for less, and take the risk of them possibly breaking, then place them between heavy cardboard or a corrugated mailer.