Classic Potato Chips

Name: Classic Potato Chips
Brand: Lay's

0Avoid

Breakdown

Processed · 6 contaminants flagged · 1 ingredient to avoid

Includes lab results from its product family: Lay's fried potato chips (US)

100

Lab-measured contaminants

Measured against published safety limits

−100

cadmium−42

glycidyl esters−16

3-mcpd−14

acrylamide−14

lead−10

arsenic−4

Ingredients

−51

vegetable oil−51

Processing

−5

NOVA 3: processed−5

Packaging

−5

Packaging−5

Adjustments

What it takes to land on the final number

+61

Minimum score+61

Final score0

Contaminants · 8

5 at/over limit

Measured by an independent lab and compared against published safety limits.

Cadmium165 ppbof 5 ppb

Over the limit — 33×FDA bottled-water Standard of Quality, 21 CFR 165.110(b) — 0.005 mg/L

Glycidyl Esters55 ppbof 6 ppb

Over the limit — 9.2×EU maximum level, Commission Reg. (EU) 2023/915 Annex I (point 5.3.3.2, carried over from Reg. (EU) 2020/1322) — glycidyl fatty acid esters expressed as glycidol, 6.0 ug/kg in liquid infant formula, follow-on formula and FSMP. Applied to all foods as the TIGHTEST published GE number. Looser EU levels not adopted: powdered infant formula 50 ug/kg; vegetable oils and fats placed on the market for the final consumer 1,000 ug/kg (500 ug/kg when destined for baby food).

Acrylamide263 ppbof 40 ppb

Over the limit — 6.6×EU benchmark level, Commission Reg. (EU) 2017/2158 Annex IV — 40 ug/kg for baby foods and processed cereal-based foods for infants and young children (other than biscuits and rusks), the tightest benchmark in the regulation. Applied to all foods as the TIGHTEST published acrylamide number. EU benchmarks are mitigation-performance indicators, not legal maximum levels; looser category benchmarks not adopted include potato crisps 750, crackers 400, biscuits and wafers 350, breakfast cereals 150-300, roast coffee 400 ug/kg. No FDA or EPA food concentration limit exists.

3-mcpd63 ppbof 12 ppb

Over the limit — 5.3×EU maximum level, Commission Reg. (EU) 2023/915 Annex I as amended by Reg. (EU) 2024/1003 (point 5.3.3.2) — sum of 3-MCPD and 3-MCPD fatty acid esters expressed as 3-MCPD, 12 ug/kg in liquid infant formula, follow-on formula and FSMP (cut from 15). Applied to all foods as the TIGHTEST published 3-MCPD number. Looser EU levels not adopted: powdered infant formula 80 ug/kg; free 3-MCPD in hydrolysed vegetable protein and soy sauce 20 ug/kg; vegetable oils and fats for the final consumer 1,250 ug/kg.

Lead12 ppbof 5 ppb

Over the limit — 2.4×FDA bottled-water Standard of Quality, 21 CFR 165.110(b) — 0.005 mg/L

Arsenic6 ppbof 10 ppb

60% of the limitFDA bottled-water Standard of Quality, 21 CFR 165.110(b) — 0.010 mg/L (= EPA MCL)

Di(2-ethylhexyl) Phthalate (DEHP)NDof 6 ppb

Not detectedUS EPA drinking-water MCL, 40 CFR 141.61(c) — 0.006 mg/L. Applied to all foods as the TIGHTEST published DEHP number; the EU food-contact limit is looser (Reg. (EU) 10/2011 as amended by 2023/1442: SML 0.6 mg/kg, plus the 0.6 mg/kg DEHP-equivalent group limit with DBP/BBP/DIBP).

MercuryNDof 2 ppb

Not detectedFDA bottled-water Standard of Quality, 21 CFR 165.110(b) — 0.002 mg/L

Contaminants · 4

2 at/over limit

Includes lab tests of other products in its family

Lay's fried potato chips (US)

Worst result per contaminant across the family

In the family’s tests: measured by an independent lab and compared against published safety limits.

Cadmium165 ppbof 5 ppb

Over the limit — 33×FDA bottled-water Standard of Quality, 21 CFR 165.110(b) — 0.005 mg/L

Measured in: Classic Potato Chips

Lead12 ppbof 5 ppb

Over the limit — 2.4×FDA bottled-water Standard of Quality, 21 CFR 165.110(b) — 0.005 mg/L

Measured in: Classic Potato Chips

Arsenic6 ppbof 10 ppb

60% of the limitFDA bottled-water Standard of Quality, 21 CFR 165.110(b) — 0.010 mg/L (= EPA MCL)

Measured in: Classic Potato Chips

MercuryNDof 2 ppb

Not detectedFDA bottled-water Standard of Quality, 21 CFR 165.110(b) — 0.002 mg/L

Measured in: Classic Potato Chips

Ingredients · 3

GoodCautionAvoid

Healthier swaps

Same shelf, cleaner ingredients

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Thin & Crispy Organic Blue Corn Tortilla Chips

Late July

Olive Oil Classic Sea Salt Kettle Style Potato Chips, 6.5 oz

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Sea Salt Avocado Oil Tortilla Chips

Boulder Canyon

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Xochitl

Nutrition facts

Nutrient	Per 100g	Per serving
Calories	565.37 kcal	160 kcal
Fat	35.34 g	10 g
Saturated fat	5.3 g	1.5 g
Carbohydrates	53 g	15 g
Sugars	3.53 g	1 g
Fiber	3.53 g	1 g
Protein	7.07 g	2 g
Sodium	0.49 g	0.14 g

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Common questions

Is Lay's Classic Potato Chips healthy?

Lay's Classic Potato Chips scores 0/100 on Tallow — our avoid band. That number comes from what is on the label: the ingredients, how processed it is, and what it is packaged in, plus lab results from its product family, Lay's fried potato chips (US). Per serving it carries 1g fiber, 2g protein and 1g sugar. It is not a verdict on your diet — Tallow does not weigh calories, portion size or how often you eat it, so a high score means the ingredients are clean, not that the food is unlimited.

What is in Lay's Classic Potato Chips?

Lay's Classic Potato Chips lists 3 ingredients, starting with Potatoes, Vegetable Oil and Salt. Ingredients are listed in descending order by weight, so the first few make up most of what you are eating.

How many calories are in Lay's Classic Potato Chips?

160 kcal per serving, or 565 kcal per 100g. Calories are only part of the picture — Tallow scores Lay's Classic Potato Chips on what the ingredients are, not how many calories they carry.

Does Lay's Classic Potato Chips contain seed oils?

Yes. Lay's Classic Potato Chips lists Vegetable Oil in its ingredients.

How processed is Lay's Classic Potato Chips?

Lay's Classic Potato Chips is NOVA group 3: processed, but not ultra-processed. NOVA runs 1 to 4, where 1 is whole food and 4 is ultra-processed.

How does Lay's Classic Potato Chips compare to other chips & crisps?

At 0/100 Lay's Classic Potato Chips scores worse than most chips & crisps we have scored. A higher-scoring option in chips & crisps is Late July Thin & Crispy Organic Blue Corn Tortilla Chips at 95/100.

Is Lay's Classic Potato Chips organic?

Lay's Classic Potato Chips is not certified organic in our data.

Has Lay's Classic Potato Chips been lab tested?

Yes. 8 substances in Lay's Classic Potato Chips have a laboratory result on file — see the Contaminants section above for each reading and the limit it was measured against. Other products in its family (Lay's fried potato chips (US)), which share its base recipe, were lab tested too. This product is scored with the worst result for each contaminant across those tests. Their results are in the family's Contaminants section above.

Does Lay's Classic Potato Chips contain heavy metals?

Yes. A lab detected lead at 12 ppb against a 5 ppb limit, arsenic at 6 ppb against a 10 ppb limit and cadmium at 165 ppb against a 5 ppb limit in Lay's Classic Potato Chips. It also tested for mercury and found none above its detection limit. Each reading is in the Contaminants section above. Other products in its family, which share its base recipe, were tested too: a lab detected arsenic at 6 ppb against a 10 ppb limit in Classic Potato Chips, cadmium at 165 ppb against a 5 ppb limit in Classic Potato Chips and lead at 12 ppb against a 5 ppb limit in Classic Potato Chips. This product is scored with the worst result for each contaminant across those tests.

Does Lay's Classic Potato Chips contain phthalates?

No. A lab tested Lay's Classic Potato Chips for DEHP and found none above its detection limit.

Full methodology: how we score products.