The problem with crisps

Is is amazing that there seems to be little rebuttal from health experts about  the widespread, no, almost universal use of crisps as a snack or accompaniment to a meal especially kids’ lunches.

They have little in the way of healthy features and some serious drawback. Thinking about how they are made is a way to appreciate the health problem they pose. Classically a crisp is shaving of a potato, already an essentially rich source of refined carbohydrate,  that is fried in oil till it is crisp. It is vital that all the moisture in crisp is removed to achieve ‘crispness’ and also to ensure ‘shelf or package’ life. The potato shaving is saturated with the oil in which is cooked right through.

The oil used has to be very hot to achieve what is required, ie to brown, to crisp and at the same time dehydrate the potato. The provenance of the oil is at the behest of the maker and the frequency of its use is never stated and is probably a trade secret as it indeed must be one of the major costs in production.

Heating any oil or fat changes it and alway for the worst. The change in colour of the crisp to a light or golden brown means there has been caramelisation, not just of the surface as in the case of a baked potato but all the way through. Caramelisation means a worrying change to the carbohydrate, the essential substance of the potato but also to the little bit of protein in it as well. This change produces range of acrylamide - like products and these are known to be carcinogenic or cancer producing.

The manufacturers now, on top of common salt and the problems that causes, use a spectrum of spices and flavourings the provenance of which is not revealed. Spices, especially hot ones like chilli are also cancer producing..

On top of all these issues is the mechanical one. Crisps are mostly crunched a little after being put in the mouth but then tend to be swallowed before they are softened. That is they present to the eater’s gullet a mass of fined sharp edged shards - a very definite mechanical irritant to the lining of the gullet. Cancer of the gullet or oesophagus is on the increase and almost certainly one can see that crispness of crisps could be a contributing factor. Any salt  on them aggravates the problem.

So in crisps we have a food which is nutritionally, chemically and even mechanically unhealthy and with some factors having elements that could be contributing to cancer.