Acrylamide levels in potato chips sold in Iran
What it found
Most potato chip brands tested in Iran had acrylamide levels that posed a possible cancer risk for children.
Adults faced lower but still notable exposure.
What they found
Studies in people
Non-cancer risk for adults
For all 40 brands, the calculated non-cancer risk index for adults was below 1. This means 100% of the brands fell under that threshold for adults.
Non-cancer risk for children
For children, only 9 out of 40 brands had a non-cancer risk index below 1. That is 22.5% of the brands. The other 31 brands, or 77.5%, were above 1.
Cancer risk estimates
Only 1 out of 40 brands had a cancer risk index above 10 -4 for adults. For children, every single brand rated above 10 -4.
Other findings
Acrylamide measured in chips
Researchers tested 120 samples across 40 brands of potato chips sold in Kermanshah, Iran. They used a lab technique to measure the amount of acrylamide in each sample.
What the authors conclude
- They say children eating these potato chips in Kermanshah face a possible cancer risk from acrylamide exposure.
- They advise that adult exposure still needs attention and monitoring.
- They suggest improving production methods, especially cooking temperature and time, to lower acrylamide levels.
How it was done
The authors wanted to measure how much acrylamide was present in potato chips sold in Kermanshah, Iran. They also wanted to estimate the health risks from eating them.
They tested 120 samples of potato chips from 40 different brands sold in Kermanshah, Iran. They used a lab method called HPLC-DAD to measure acrylamide levels. They then calculated possible health risks for adults and children.
What it can’t tell you
- We summarised it from the abstract only.
- These are risk calculations based on chemical measurements, not direct observations of illness in people. They cannot prove that eating these chips caused cancer or other diseases in anyone.
- The samples came from one city in Iran. They may not represent potato chips sold elsewhere.
Who paid
- Authors work at
- Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Iran; Zabol University of Medical Sciences, Iran; Urmia University, Iran
The paper
- Title
- Acrylamide in potato chips in Iran, health risk assessment and mitigation
- Type
- Study
- Evidence
- Studies in people
- Summarised from
- Abstract only
- Cite
- Sharafi K, Kiani A, Massahi T, et al (2024). Acrylamide in potato chips in Iran, health risk assessment and mitigation. Food additives & contaminants. Part B, Surveillance. doi:10.1080/19393210.2023.2283055PubMed 37982369DOI
Summary written 30 Sep 2026. Check it against the paper before it changes what you eat. How we summarise papers · Report an error