# Vitamins in chips?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vitamins-in-chips/77092>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [August 20, 2001, 3:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vitamins-in-chips/77092 "2001-08-20T03:38:55Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![vorfod](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/a87d85/32.png) [@vorfod](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vorfod)\
**Post date:** [August 20, 2001, 3:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vitamins-in-chips/77092/1 "2001-08-20T03:38:55Z")

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One of my co-workers claims that there is more vitamins in pre-processed chips (Smith’s Crisps, CCs and the like)than in fresh fruit due to the preservatives. Specifically, she’s talking about vitamin A, C & K. This sounds like complete crap to me , so would anyone care to back me up?

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**Author:** ![evilhanz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ba8739/32.png) [@evilhanz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/evilhanz)\
**Post date:** [August 20, 2001, 4:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vitamins-in-chips/77092/2 "2001-08-20T04:01:26Z")

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Smith’s Crisps sounds like a product from the UK. I’ll use US data on potato chips since I can’t find anything on the product you mentioned. A typical example might be [Lay’s Classic Potato Chips](http://home.att.net/~phichta/LaysClassicPotatoChips.html). It has 10% of the US RDA of Vitamin C or about 3mg. That’s exceptional for a snack product. Now, view the following chart comparing Vitamin C [values for fresh fruit](http://www.naturalhub.com/natural_food_guide_fruit_vitamin_c.htm). Here are a few excerpts: orange 70mg, banana 10mg, avocado 16mg, grapefruit 44mg (1/4 fruit), green kiwifruit 74mg, canteloupe 39mg (1/4 fruit), and on and on … even apples have twice has much Vitamin C.

Oh, by the way, the values for Vitamin A, Iron, and Calcium for Lay’s Classic Potato Chips were listed at 0%.

You’re not the one who needs to be backed up. Your friend should be the one presenting evidence that snacking on junk food is the path to health. There are millions of Westerners who’d love to hear it.

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**Author:** ![vorfod](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/a87d85/32.png) [@vorfod](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vorfod)\
**Post date:** [August 20, 2001, 4:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vitamins-in-chips/77092/3 "2001-08-20T04:34:41Z")

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Thank you - my co-worker, in her defense, didn’t think it was healthy - she’s just heard this and wanted me to confirm or deny the rumour. As for the location of Smith’s Chips, I don’t know where they come from originally, but I’m in Australia, and that’s where I’ve seen them.

(My co-worker now says that it must be that chips have more sunscreen in them than apples!)