Are Green Potato Chips Safe To Eat?

Americans snack on about 1.85 billion pounds of potato chips every year — roughly 6.6 pounds per person. Whether cut, baked, or kettled-cooked, it's safe to say that some may come across a green potato chip in a bag or two when reaching into a bag of chips. While some may see the green chip as a good omen, many may be perplexed about the strange color. In a pack of golden crispy slices of potatoes, a green potato chip surely stands out in the crowd. Many questions may arise: Has this chip gone bad? Is it poisonous? Is it mold?  

Green potato chips are actually pretty typical. Some potato chips are green due to the high exposure to chlorophyll. While green potato chips may seem peculiar, they are safe to eat. The only difference is that green potato chips may have a slightly bitter taste. But like with most food, too much of a good thing can be a bad thing.

In addition to being typical, green potato chips are also natural. Thanks to photosynthesis, plants are able to convert sunlight, carbon dioxide, and water to make oxygen and energy in the form of sugar. In the process, chlorophyll is produced, which is a natural pigment that gives plants a green color. Green potatoes are a result of high levels of chlorophyll or overexposure to sunlight.

However, chlorophyll does contain solanine, which is a toxic chemical that can cause "nausea, headaches, and neurological problems," according to The New York Times. You would need to eat a large number of green potatoes to feel sick. A 100-pound person would have to eat 16 ounces of green potatoes to feel the effects of solanine. That means you would need to munch on a lot of green potato chips. While harmless, whether you want to eat green potato chips may just merely come down to whether you enjoy bitter potatoes or feel uneasy about the green visuals.

Green potato chips aren't just the only unusual things that may appear in your bag of chips. Sometimes, potato chips may have brown spots. Some may attribute those brown specks to the potato chips being old or even spoiled. But just like green potato chips, these chips are harmless. The brown spots on potato chips are simply bruises or a byproduct of "excess potato sugars darkening during frying," according to Cookist.

Brown spots on potatoes are just the effects of bruising. Also known as internal black discoloration, the spots are harmless. If there's a giant dark hole — known as a hollow heart — in the center of the potato, it's a result of a change in growing conditions, such as a drastic temperature change.

While green potato chips may not look perfect all the time, they are still safe to eat, even with brown spots. For potatoes, you can simply cut away the brown spots if you wish to not use those parts.