# How much oil is in a potato chip? And general analysis of absorption...

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-oil-is-in-a-potato-chip-and-general-analysis-of-absorption/766257>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [September 18, 2016, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-oil-is-in-a-potato-chip-and-general-analysis-of-absorption/766257 "2016-09-18T15:07:00Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Leo\_Bloom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leo_bloom/32/10377_2.png) [@Leo\_Bloom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leo_Bloom)\
**Post date:** [September 18, 2016, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-oil-is-in-a-potato-chip-and-general-analysis-of-absorption/766257/1 "2016-09-18T15:07:00Z")

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See query.

It’s on the physics and chemistry of the thing. I’m sure the chip manufacturers have it down (to a science, heh) to extreme precision when costing, etc. using at least preliminary theory before going to testing.

From experience I know oil residue after cooking (which may or may not correlate with sense of “greasiness”) differs on absorbent and on “frying” temperature (untreated eggplant absorbs tons; frying food at too low temperatures makes more penetrate (although I’m not sure if that’s merely because it has more time–but duck confit, which is in bubbling fat for hours, has no significant penetration…). And low-low poaching temperature, eg fish filet in oil or lobster in butter, can leave a minute amount on some food.

So: thin potato substrate. Oil amount and temp unknown. And oil type, if it matters, which it might, certainly at higher temperatures/smoke points.  
(Posted in attempt to distract myself with intellectual abstraction while feeling gross and stupid after eating a whole big bag of potato chips.)

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**Author:** ![bob\_2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bob_2/32/3341_2.png) [@bob\_2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bob_2)\
**Post date:** [September 18, 2016, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-oil-is-in-a-potato-chip-and-general-analysis-of-absorption/766257/2 "2016-09-18T15:42:42Z")

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The salt was probably more harmful than the oil.

> [@](#):
>
> A typical 35g bag of crisps [chips in the USA] contains about two-and-a-half teaspoons of oil.
> 
> A larger 50g pack contains three-and-a-half.

> **[BBC NEWS | Health | 'Pack-a-day crisp habit' warning](http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/5367822.stm)**
>
> Half of UK children "drink" almost five litres of cooking oil a year through eating crisps, experts say.

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**Author:** ![Channing\_Idaho\_Banks](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/channing_idaho_banks/32/250_2.png) [@Channing\_Idaho\_Banks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Channing_Idaho_Banks)\
**Post date:** [September 18, 2016, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-oil-is-in-a-potato-chip-and-general-analysis-of-absorption/766257/3 "2016-09-18T16:51:55Z")

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> [@bob\_2](#):
>
> The salt was probably more harmful than the oil.  
> [BBC NEWS | Health | 'Pack-a-day crisp habit' warning](http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/5367822.stm)

Your link did not mention anything about salt, a mineral that is essential to life.

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**Author:** ![mixdenny](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mixdenny/32/2962_2.png) [@mixdenny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mixdenny)\
**Post date:** [September 18, 2016, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-oil-is-in-a-potato-chip-and-general-analysis-of-absorption/766257/4 "2016-09-18T18:45:36Z")

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Potatoes have close enough to zero fat as to be ignored. Just read the nutrition facts on the bag. All of that fat is absorbed. The 8 ounce bag (226 g) in front of me has 80 grams of fat. That works out to 146 grams of potato. This is confirmed by the 120 g of carbohydrate, 8 grams of fiber and 6 grams of protein that add up to 144 of stuff besides oil. The chips are 35% oil by weight.

Also on the bag is the approximate number of chips per serving and we see that there is about 0.9 gram of fat per chip.

Dennis