trueDiscovery Science02/21/2024Cracking the code to a healthier potato chipMSU research "has the potential to affect every single bag of potato chips around the world.”
  • A team of scientists led by Michigan State University professors Jiming Jiang and David Douches has discovered a key mechanism behind the darkening and potential health concerns associated with cold-stored potatoes. 
  • By turning off a genetic switch that spurs potatoes to convert starches to sugars at low temperatures, cold-stored tubers fry better and produce less of a carcinogen known as acrylamide.
  • “This discovery represents a significant advancement in our understanding of potato development and its implications for food quality and health,” said Jiang, an MSU Research Foundation Professor. “It has the potential to affect every single bag of potato chips around the world.”
Samantha BrichtaMichigan State University researchers Jiming Jiang (left) and David Douches (right) stand in a greenhouse between many potato plants.