The Pringles Company (in an effort to avoid taxes levied against “luxury foods” like chips in the UK) argued that the potato content of their chips was so low that they are technically not even potato chips.
So if they’re not made of potatoes, what are they exactly?
The process begins with a slurry of rice, wheat, corn, and potato flakes pressed into a dough-like substance which is then rolled out into an ultra-thin sheet cut into chip-cookies by a machine. The chips move forward on a conveyor belt until they’re pressed onto molds, which give them the curve that makes them fit into one another. The molds move through boiling oil, then blown dry and sprayed with powdered flavors.
Potato chips are one of the most toxic processed foods you can eat, whether they’re made from actual potato or not due to Acrylamide - a cancer-causing and neurotoxic chemical, created when carbohydrate-rich foods are cooked at high temperatures, whether baked, fried, roasted or toasted. Some of the worst offenders include potato chips and French fries, but foods cooked above 212°F (100°C) may contain acrylamide. As a general rule, the chemical is formed when food is heated enough to produce a fairly dry and brown/yellow surface.
The federal limit for acrylamide in drinking water is 0.5 parts per billion, but a six-ounce serving of French fries can contain 500 times over the allowable limit. Potato chips are notoriously high in this dangerous chemical. So high that California actually sued potato chip makers for failing to warn California consumers about the health risks of acrylamide in their products.
California-basedEnvironmental Law Foundation (ELF), spelled out the dangers of this popular snack. Their analysis found that all potato chip products tested exceeded the legal limit of acrylamide by a minimum of 39 times, and as much as 910 times!
So if they’re not made of potatoes, what are they exactly?
The process begins with a slurry of rice, wheat, corn, and potato flakes pressed into a dough-like substance which is then rolled out into an ultra-thin sheet cut into chip-cookies by a machine. The chips move forward on a conveyor belt until they’re pressed onto molds, which give them the curve that makes them fit into one another. The molds move through boiling oil, then blown dry and sprayed with powdered flavors.
Potato chips are one of the most toxic processed foods you can eat, whether they’re made from actual potato or not due to Acrylamide - a cancer-causing and neurotoxic chemical, created when carbohydrate-rich foods are cooked at high temperatures, whether baked, fried, roasted or toasted. Some of the worst offenders include potato chips and French fries, but foods cooked above 212°F (100°C) may contain acrylamide. As a general rule, the chemical is formed when food is heated enough to produce a fairly dry and brown/yellow surface.
The federal limit for acrylamide in drinking water is 0.5 parts per billion, but a six-ounce serving of French fries can contain 500 times over the allowable limit. Potato chips are notoriously high in this dangerous chemical. So high that California actually sued potato chip makers for failing to warn California consumers about the health risks of acrylamide in their products.
California-basedEnvironmental Law Foundation (ELF), spelled out the dangers of this popular snack. Their analysis found that all potato chip products tested exceeded the legal limit of acrylamide by a minimum of 39 times, and as much as 910 times!
