Classic Potato Chips

Name: Classic Potato Chips
Brand: Lay's

0Avoid

Breakdown

Processed · 6 contaminants flagged · 2 ingredients to avoid

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

−85

sunflower oil−43

corn and/or canola oil−42

Processing

−5

NOVA 3: processed−5

Adjustments

What it takes to land on the final number

+90

Minimum score+90

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

Ingredients · 4

GoodCautionAvoid

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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. 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 4 ingredients, starting with Potatoes, Sunflower Oil, Corn and/Or Canola Oil and Salt. Ingredients are listed in descending order by weight, so the first few make up most of what you are eating.

Does Lay's Classic Potato Chips contain seed oils?

Yes. Lay's Classic Potato Chips lists Sunflower Oil and Corn and/Or Canola 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 Real Idaho Potato Chips Organic Potato Chips at 100/100.

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.

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.

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.