Click to read the original article for details On October 29, the Shenzhen Consumer Council released a report showing that among 15 well-known domestic and international potato chip brands tested, acrylamide levels exceeded EU standards, with the highest levels found in Yanjin Shop, Three Squirrels, and Miss Dong, while Tianyou, Liangpin Shop, Oishi, and RED ROCK DELI also exceeded the benchmark. Acrylamide is classified as a Group 2A carcinogen by the World Health Organization, meaning it may cause cancer in humans, and this news caused an uproar and heated discussion across all sectors. One of the "three treasures for couch potatoes" (sofa, potato chips, and sugary drinks) - potato chips - was involved in such a major incident! As a seasoned couch potato, the editor immediately dropped the chips upon seeing the news, panicked for a moment, and then quickly checked the relevant information. -01- What exactly happened to make chips less appealing? Specifically, the Shenzhen Consumer Council selected 15 well-known domestic and international potato chip brands and commissioned a professional quality inspection company to conduct comparative tests. The tests found that some chips contained carcinogens! Among them, chips from Liangpin Shop and Three Squirrels were found to contain the potential carcinogen acrylamide! Seven chip products had levels of the Group 2A carcinogen acrylamide higher than the EU benchmark level (750 μg/kg), with three products from Yanjin Shop, Three Squirrels, and Miss Dong exceeding 2000 micrograms per kilogram. Products from Tianyou, Liangpin Shop, Oishi, and RED ROCK DELI also exceeded the benchmark level of 750 μg/kg. In terms of safety indicators, all 15 chip samples met national standards for physicochemical indicators, microbiological indicators, heavy metal contaminants, and antioxidants, and had low trans fatty acid content. Among them, five products - Lorenz, Lay's (US-made), RED ROCK DELI, Yanjin Shop, and Orion - had no trans fatty acids detected, making them relatively healthier. In other words, the only culprit behind this panic was the "potential carcinogen" acrylamide. The International Agency for Research on Cancer, under the World Health Organization, classifies acrylamide as Group 2A, meaning it is possibly carcinogenic to humans. In fact, acrylamide in potato chips is not artificially added but forms naturally during food processing - it is generated when asparagine and reducing sugars are heated above 120 degrees Celsius under low moisture conditions. This means acrylamide is widespread in our daily foods, mainly from baked goods, fried foods, grilled foods, and puffed foods, such as French fries, potato chips, toast, biscuits, and coffee. Additionally, everyday cooking methods like stir-frying, braising, deep-frying, and roasting can also lead to its formation. According to food nutrition experts: "As long as you fry foods containing carbohydrates and proteins at high temperatures, acrylamide will be produced. Even when white sugar is caramelized into brown sugar or black sugar, acrylamide is also produced." The EU's "benchmark level" is a performance indicator used to verify the effectiveness of measures to gradually reduce acrylamide content in food, not a safety limit for acrylamide in food. Currently, neither internationally nor domestically are there regulations or standards setting limits for acrylamide in food. -02- Is there really a need to panic? Here's what officials say After the incident, Three Squirrels issued a statement via its official Weibo account @三只松鼠, saying: "Our original flavor crispy chips meet national food safety standards." The other two companies made similar statements. In fact, the Shenzhen Consumer Council, which initiated the tests, also partially verified this claim. The Shenzhen Consumer Council issued a statement saying: "Such topics and content are inappropriate and may mislead consumers!" After reviewing relevant materials, the editor found that for potato chips, the current standards implemented in China are GB 17401-2014 "National Food Safety Standard for Puffed Food," GB/T 22699-2008 "Puffed Food," or QB/T 2686-2005 "Potato Chips," and indeed there are no provisions for acrylamide. In other words, the responses from the three brands - Three Squirrels, Yanjin Shop, and Miss Dong - regarding the detection of acrylamide in their chips are not problematic. Worldwide, only the EU has formally implemented legislation on acrylamide. Of course, this does not mean that potato chips are a healthy food. Overall, the fat content of fried chips is about 1.5 times that of baked chips, and among fried chips, imported fried chips have an average sodium content 1.7 times that of domestic fried chips. Even excluding the "carcinogenic" risk, excessive consumption of potato chips is still not advisable. The relatively high acrylamide content in chips from brands like Three Squirrels indicates that there is room for improvement in their production processes. In general, as long as you follow the principles of a healthy diet, you can eat what you normally eat. Beyond that, there is no need to worry excessively about the health effects of acrylamide. However, since there is no domestic standard for acrylamide, well-known domestic chip brands could take the initiative to promote the establishment of relevant national standards, continuously refine and raise standards, which would truly benefit the long-term development of the industry and give domestic consumers more confidence in the food safety of domestic brands.