Ruffles Original Potato Chips Test Positive for Arsenic & Cadmium: 2024 Laboratory Report

ByTamara Posted: Updated:
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Article Updated: August 2025

Section #1)
Quick note from Tamara Rubin:

As noted in our previously published articles, we have not yet found a potato chip snack product that has tested negative (non-detect) for Cadmium (a known carcinogen). As you can see from the aggregate data graphic below (and the chart directly above), each of the potato chip products we have tested resulted positive for an UNSAFE level of Cadmium. To read a more comprehensive article with information about the concern, please click through to our article discussing the  Lab Report for the Boulder Canyon brand Avocado Oil potato chips (updated in August of 2025 – link here.

In addition to the Lay’s Classic chips (lab report published earlier), the Ruffles Original Potato Chips (pictured above) are no exception to the rule.

The Rule: Modern potato chips (grown both with organic methods and conventional farming, fried in any type of oil – Avocado, Tallow, or Seed Oil) are contaminated with unsafe levels of Cadmium, levels that are especially concerning when one considers the normal / anticipated consumption habits that can be expected when children (of any age) are offered chips.

Please scroll down to the bottom of this article to see the independent, third-party laboratory report for this Ruffles potato chip product (also manufactured by Frito-Lay).

Section #2)
Sharable Social Media Graphic #1)

Section #2.a.)
Links to Articles with Lab Reports For Other Potato Chip Products Tested

Here are direct links to each of the articles for potato chip products we have sent to the lab for testing so far — the full original lab report for each product is at the bottom of each article.

    1. Boulder Canyon Potato Chips (Cooked in Avocado oil)
    2. Cape Cod Potato Chips
    3. Good Crisp Potato Chips
    4. Humble Organic Potato Chips
    5. Kettle Potato Chips
    6. Lays Classic Potato Chips
    7. Ruffles Classic Potato Chips
    8. Siete Potato Chips (Cooked in Avocado oil)
    9. NEW: Tayto – The Original Irish Crisp – in Salt & Vinegar Flavour
    10. Vandy Crisps (Cooked in Beef Tallow)
    11. Whole Foods Market 365 Organic Potato Chips

Section #3)
For those new to the work of Lead Safe Mama, LLC:

Tamara Rubin is a multiple-federal-award-winning independent advocate for childhood Lead poisoning prevention and consumer goods safety, and a documentary filmmaker. She is also a mother of Lead-poisoned children (two of her four sons were acutely Lead-poisoned in 2005).

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Advertising and affiliate income help Lead Safe Mama, LLC cover the costs of the work we do here (independent consumer goods testing and childhood Lead poisoning prevention advocacy). We have removed ads from most of our more widely-read articles (and newly published articles, too — like this one!) to make them easier for you to read. 

Ways you can support the work of Lead Safe Mama, LLC

If you appreciate what we do and would like to help keep our work going by contributing something (any amount, really!) toward the costs of our not-yet-funded laboratory testing and reporting, please consider making a contribution ($25? $50? $100? Whatever you can afford) supporting Lead Safe Mama, LLC through our General Fund GoFundMe or — even better — please consider  joining us on Patreon with a small monthly gift in support of the Lead Safe Mama, LLC Community-Collaborative Laboratory Testing Initiative. Thank you. You can join us on Patreon for FREE or with a small monthly contribution in support of the work we do. All of our Patreon membership tiers have the same benefits as our work is never behind a paywall. Lead Safe Mama, LLC is not a 501(c)3 non-profit, we are (instead) an LLC with a unique community-collaborative business model, so – while gifts in support of our work are greatly appreciated, they are not tax-deductible contributions. Thanks again!

Section #4)
Sharable Social Media Graphic #2)

Section #5)
Important Background: What is an Action Level?

Please note the following key points:

The original lab report for this product is below (at the bottom of this page).

The graphic above shows the levels of metals detected in this product (in red) along with the low threshold of detection (in orange, above the action levels discussed/ or in green, below the action levels discussed) for each metal not detected with the laboratory testing Lead Safe Mama, LLC had completed for this product. The numbers are juxtaposed (in blue) to the “Action Level” proposed by the medical and scientific community in 2021 as part of the Baby Food Safety Act. For this round of testing, SimpleLab (our laboratory testing provider) had a change of labs and their low threshold of detection is slightly higher than in previous testing rounds.

  • These 2021 levels were proposed as “Action Levels” because they are (in fact) protective of human health.
  • An “Action Level” is NOT the same as a “Maximum Allowable Level.”
    • Many food manufacturers misinterpret guidance on heavy metals to mean “allowable levels” and consider it reasonable for products to test positive below these levels.
    • This is a (perhaps intentional?) misunderstanding/ misinterpretation the food industry makes — a misunderstanding that food manufacturers use to justify the presence of heavy metals in products.
  • Heavy metals accumulate in the body.
    • It is the cumulative/ aggregate impact of heavy metal exposure (over a lifetime) that makes even small/ incidental/ seemingly trivial exposures particularly damaging and dangerous. You can read more about that here.
  • Once a food product has the amount of heavy metal (Lead, Cadmium, Mercury, or Arsenic) noted (above) as the “Action Level,” that product is officially considered (by the scientific and medical community) unsafe for consumption by children as toxicants (found at-or-above these levels) are in the range of heavy metal levels that have been demonstrated to cause lasting harm.
  • Action Levels are unrelated to serving size.
    • Action Levels are relevant for any amount of a food product that may be consumed (any quantity of the food in question).
    • PPB (parts per billion/ ppb) measurements are a percentage (albeit a very small percentage) and apply to any quantity of the food product tested.
    • For more discussion about serving size considerations (and why relying on “serving size” to limit toxicant exposure is not a relevant metric/ not a metric protective of human health), read this article.
  • These “Action Levels” proposed in 2021 are the levels at which the scientific and medical community believe the manufacturer (or government) needs to take ACTION to fix the problem.
    • One “Action” would be for the manufacturer to take steps to reduce the levels of toxicants in the food product.
    • Another “Action” would be for the manufacturer to cease sales of the product until the product could be made safe.
    • Another “Action” would be for the manufacturer to inform the public that a specific food product has an unsafe level of the metal detected at-or-above the “Action Level” — making a highly-visible public announcement regarding which relevant batches of the product should be recalled/ no longer consumed.
  • The Action Levels proposed with the Baby Food Safety Act of 2021 were not arbitrary toxicant levels, but were proposed because they are the levels most protective of human health. However, the Baby Food Safety Act of 2021 was not passed into law.
  • Regardless of the fact the Baby Food Safety Act of 2021 never passed into law — and it is therefore legal to have foods and supplements marketed for consumption by children test positive for Lead, Cadmium, Mercury, and Arsenic at-or-above these levels — these Action Levels still reflect the current (modern/ relevant) advice of the medical and scientific communities as levels both achievable by the industry and safeguards of infant and toddler health.
  • Food and supplement industry lobbyists fought against formalizing these proposed “Action Levels” as a government standard, alleging the levels were unachievable.
  • The list of safer choices (below) clearly demonstrate these Action Levels as achievable across a range of food types (salt, flour, coffee, oatmeal, chia seeds, hemp seeds, soy milk, packaged fruit-based snacks, beverages, and more).
  • The legitimacy of these levels as “Action Levels”/ “Levels of Concern” (even though they were not adopted as law) is mirrored by the legitimacy of the American Academy of Pediatrics’ level of concern for Lead in water, which is 1 ppb despite the FDA’s official “level of concern” for Lead in water being 15 ppb (you can read more about that here).

 

Section #6)
Lead Safe Mama, LLC Lab-Tested Safer Choices List

Below is an expanding list of products (foods, supplements, cosmetics, and personal care items, including sunscreens and toothpaste) that tested “non-detect” for Lead, Mercury, Cadmium, and Arsenic with independent, third-party, community-funded laboratory testing coordinated by Lead Safe Mama, LLC (an Oregon-based small business with a unique community-collaborative business model and a focus on consumer goods safety and childhood Lead poisoning prevention). The product examples below clearly demonstrate that companies can manufacture safer choices (at least from the perspective of a concern for heavy metals contamination).
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The limits of detection (low-threshold of detection) for each of the metals tested are noted in the lab report for the specific product listed. To see the full original lab report for any of these products, type the brand name into the search bar at the top of any page on Lead Safe Mama dot com (and scroll down to the bottom of the related article). All our published lab reports are also linked here, on our lab testing landing page.
–
Flavors (or specific variations) tested are noted, and other variations of the same product (or other products from the same brand) have either not been tested or have been tested but did not yield similar results. Test results only apply to the specific products listed and linked below.

Products on our “safer choices” list are retested periodically (annually or more frequently, as funding permits). If a product no longer tests clean, it is removed from the list.

Lab-Tested Safer Choices List
UPDATED: August 2, 2025, Saturday
Now at 77 products + 6 “bonus” options. Scroll down to see all 83 products:
  1. Baby Food — 1 — Little Spoon Kale, Carrot + Pear BabyBlends
  2. Baby Food — 2 —Little Spoon Butternut Squash + Blueberry BabyBlends
  3. Baby Food — 3 — Little Spoon Sweet Potato BabyBlends
  4. Baby Food — 4 — Little Spoon Sweet Potato + Carrot BabyBlends
  5. Baby Food — 5 — Little Spoon Banana + Pitaya BabyBlends
  6. Beverage — 1 — Honest Kids Organic Appley Ever After Apple Juice Drink: https://amzn.to/4fjGhov
  7. Beverage — 2 —  Olipop Grape Tonic: https://amzn.to/4cjFYZu
  8. Beverage — 3 — Synergy Golden Pineapple Kombucha: https://amzn.to/3HVzMgM
  9. Breakfast Cereal — 1 — Nature’s Path Envirokidz Organic Panda Puffs: https://amzn.to/4fo1crf
  10. Breakfast Cereal — 2 — Nature’s Path Envirokidz Organic Corn Puffs Gorilla Munch: https://amzn.to/3FHZCDO
  11. Candy — 1 — Cavendish & Harvey Wild Berry Drops, not organic (Made in Germany): https://amzn.to/3Z1Jxjr
  12. Candy — 2 — Haribo Gummy Bears (Made in Germany, not USA-produced): https://amzn.to/3FCGVlu
  13. Candy — 3 — Lindt White Chocolate Bar (Made in USA, New Hampshire): https://amzn.to/3OXkyIm
  14. Candy — 4 — Werther’s Original Butter Candies (Made in Germany, not USA-produced): https://amzn.to/4nkFc5i
  15. Coffee & Tea — 1 — Chameleon Handcrafted Organic Cold Brew Concentrate: https://amzn.to/3OcrH77
  16. Coffee & Tea — 2 — Tao of Tea Organic Genmaicha (Tamara’s favorite, Made in Japan, sold by a Portland, Oregon-based company!): https://amzn.to/3Dp8Fsd
  17. Coffee & Tea — 3 — Califia Farms Almond Latte Cold Brew (XX Espresso): https://amzn.to/4gTTGoJ
  18. Coffee & Tea — 4 — Death Wish Organic Espresso Roast Ground Coffee (Multi-country origin, non-USA): https://amzn.to/3yo1eiL
  19. Cosmetic— 1 — Babo Botanicals Sensitive Baby Lotion: https://amzn.to/3YmKxy1
  20. Cosmetic— 2  — Epaderm Lotion (for Psoriasis, European Product): https://amzn.to/4lXkyH5
  21. Cosmetic — 3 — Kora Organics Noni Face Oil: https://amzn.to/43hy2XO
  22. Cosmetic — 4 — Supergoop! Unseen Sunscreen, SPF 50 (chemical sunscreen, please read article): https://amzn.to/3HRMVrl
  23. Cosmetic — 5  — La Roche Posay Kids’s Sunscreen: https://amzn.to/3IP2i4b 
  24. Dairy — 1 — (cheese) — Babybel Mini Original Snack Cheese: https://amzn.to/3ZY5noO
  25. Dairy — 2 — (coffee creamer) — Organic Valley Grassmilk Half and Half: https://amzn.to/4fHJIWT
  26. Fruit Snack — 1 — (bar) — Pure Organic Layered Fruit Bars in Raspberry Lemonade Flavor: https://amzn.to/3XcFsIp
  27. Fruit Snack — 2 — (bar) — Pure Organic Layered Fruit Bars in Strawberry Banana Flavor: https://amzn.to/3WQEekA
  28. Fruit Snack — 3 — (pouch) — Costco’s Kirkland Organic Apple Sauce Pouch: https://amzn.to/4gOYpZ9
  29. Fruit Snack — 4 — (pouch) — GoGo Squeez Organic Apple Sauce Pouch: https://amzn.to/3XhWYLe
  30. Fruit Snack — 5 — (pouch) — Once Upon A Farm Dairy-free Fruit Smoothie Pouch in Strawberry Banana Swirl Flavor: https://amzn.to/3CPMbAw
  31. Infant Formula — 1 — Bobbie Organic Gentle Infant Formula Milk-Based Powder with Iron (pink and white can): https://amzn.to/3YYb849 
  32. Infant Formula — 2 — Bobbie Organic Infant Formula Milk-Based Powder with Iron (green and white can): https://amzn.to/3VOr4Vy
  33. Infant Formula — 3 — Bobbie Grass-Fed Milk-Based Powder with Iron (green can): https://amzn.to/3ZlAaeJ
  34. Infant Formula — 4 — ByHeart Infant Formula (USA-made, not organic): https://amzn.to/48DJjTb
  35. Infant Formula — 5 — HiPP Bio Combiotik Infant Formula Powder, Stage 1 (imported)
  36. Infant Formula — 6 — HiPP HA Stage PRE (0+ Months) Combiotic Formula  (imported)
  37. Infant Formula — 7 — Holle Bio Goat Stage 2 Infant Formula (for 6-10 months, organic, European — Swiss/ German/ Austrian) is not available on Amazon, but the Stage 3 version of this product is (not yet tested, but will likely test similarly): https://amzn.to/3BVU7zI
  38. Infant Formula — 8 — Kendamil Goat Infant Formula (not organic): This product may be available at Target (it is not available on Amazon)
  39. Infant Formula — 9 — Kendamil Organic Follow-On Milk (European/ British Toddler Formula, for 6-12 months, Cow Milk): Not available on Amazon 
  40. Infant Formula — 10 — Kendamil Whole Milk Infant Formula (from Europe, pink can, not organic), available at Target
  41. Infant Formula — 11 — Kendamil Organic Infant Formula (Cow Milk): Not available on Amazon but may be available at Target
  42. Ingredient — 1 — (baking flour) — Jovial Organic Einkorn Flour (Italy): https://amzn.to/3LIqxix 
  43. Ingredient — 2 — (beans) — Jovial Organic Chickpeas, Product of Italy: https://amzn.to/4iRON1l
  44. Ingredient — 3 — (vinegar) — Napa Valley Naturals Organic Red Wine Vinegar (California): https://amzn.to/4jWhHOg
  45. Oil — 1 — (avocado) — Chosen Foods 100% Avocado Oil (not organic): https://amzn.to/3YDZSuv
  46. Oil — 2 — (coconut) — Dr. Bronner’s Regenerative Organic Coconut Oil: https://amzn.to/40xwBmv
  47. Oil — 3 — (olive) — Bryan Johnson BluePrint Snake Oil Olive Oil (not organic): https://amzn.to/4mMieUj
  48. Oil — 4 — (perilla seed) — Dr. Adorable’s Organic Perilla Seed Oil (Korea): https://amzn.to/3NDt7Yc
  49. Plant-Based Milk — 1 — (coffee creamer) — Laird Superfood Coconut Creamer: https://amzn.to/4fItA7A
  50. Plant-Based Milk — 2 — (plant milk) — Kiki Milk Organic Plant-Based Milk (original flavor): https://amzn.to/3AA6Qrt
  51. Plant-Based Milk — 3 — (soy milk) — West Soy Unflavored Unsweetened Organic Soy Milk: https://amzn.to/4dwev8l
  52. Salt — 1 — Jacobsen’s Sea Salt (Oregon, USA): https://amzn.to/4dcbk5L
  53. NEW! Salt — 2 — Maldon Sea Salt Flakes**: https://amzn.to/4iTzWTE
  54. NEW! Salt — 3 — Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt** : https://amzn.to/4cVQMiy
  55. Seeds — 1 — (chia) — Navitas Organic, Gluten-Free Chia Seeds (Mexico): https://amzn.to/3YvE7xC
  56. Seeds — 2 —  (hemp) — Costco Kirkland Organic Hemp Seeds: https://amzn.to/4e05RP9
  57. Supplement — 1 — (adult) — Clean Creatine (100% Creapure), Made in Germany (use with caution, please read article): https://amzn.to/43UjrS6
  58. Supplement — 2 — (adult) — Doctor’s Best Vitamin C with Q-C: https://amzn.to/4hlVvea
  59. Supplement — 3 — (adult) — Nature’s Way Zinc Lozenges: https://amzn.to/4liDz6f
  60. Supplement — 4 — (adult) — Nordic Naturals Omega-3 Fish Oil: https://amzn.to/48q1j2V
  61. Supplement — 5 — (adult) — Pectasol Modified Citrus Pectin, Formulated in the USA: https://amzn.to/3QUmZfN
  62. Supplement — 6 — (adult) — Pendulum Metabolic Daily Dietary Supplement: https://amzn.to/4gY5wOm
  63. Supplement — 7 — (adult) — Qwell Omega-3 by The Veggie Doctor, Vegan Algae DHA + EPA + DPA: https://amzn.to/45Lbosh
  64. Supplement — 8 — (kids) — Baby Ddrops, Organic Vitamin D3 Supplement for Babies: https://amzn.to/49C3ktH
  65. Supplement — 9 — (kids) — Mary Ruth’s Organic Toddler Multivitamin Liquid Drops with Iron: https://amzn.to/3YPhcgx
  66. Supplement — 10 — (kids) — Mary Ruth’s Organic Toddler Elderberry Liquid Drops: https://amzn.to/42617TU
  67. Supplement — 11  — (kids) — Nordic Naturals Kids Vitamin D3 Gummies (Ages 3+): https://amzn.to/4l7117a
  68. Sweetener — 1 — (sugar) — Anthony’s Organic Granulated Cane Sugar: https://amzn.to/4jf6vLv
  69. Sweetener — 2— (xylitol) — Espure Organic Xylitol: https://amzn.to/3GsCSrU
  70. Sweetener — 3— (xylitol) — Now Real Food Granulated Xylitol: https://amzn.to/4cNWDpM
  71. Toothpaste — 1 — Aquafresh “FRESH & MINTY” Fluoride Toothpaste, Purchased in London, England (Made in U.K. or Slovakia): https://amzn.to/4lhRMjO
  72. Toothpaste — 2 — Orajel Kids Training Toothpaste, Fluoride-free in Natural Berry Fruity Flavor with Elmo Sesame Street packaging: https://amzn.to/41wxtrY
  73. Toothpaste — 3 — Miessence Fluoride-free Mint Toothpaste (Made in Australia): https://amzn.to/4bJc4PO
  74. Toothpaste — 4 — Dr. Brown’s Fluoride-free Baby Toothpaste in Strawberry Flavor: https://amzn.to/3DCehzZ
  75. Toothpaste — 5 — Pegciz Kids Foam Toothpaste in Watermelon Flavor, Low Flouride (packaging varies, see report): https://amzn.to/3YzP68e
  76. Toothpaste — 6 — Kid’s Spry Fluoride-free Tooth Gel with Xylitol in Original Flavor: https://amzn.to/41GZb4e
  77. Toothpaste — 7 — Essential Oxygen Fluoride-free  BR Certified Organic in Peppermint Flavor: https://amzn.to/4lARZ2J

**Lab reports pending/ Not yet published as of 8/2/2025

Here’s a link to our landing page featuring all our third-party lab reports for the foods, supplements, and cosmetic products we have published to date, including those listed above. This is a good page to bookmark since it is updated several times each week, as new lab reports are published: https://tamararubin.com/lab-reports/

BONUS: Below are SIX additional products that each tested positive for trace (very low levels of) Arsenic —  at levels considered safe by all standards (with the limits of detection noted in the lab report for the specific product listed).

  1. Infant Formula — Kendamil Goat Toddler Milk, not organic (positive for traces of Arsenic): May be available at Target or through other online retailers of European infant formulas
  2. Ingredient — Maseca Instant Corn Masa Flour, Product of Mexico (positive for traces of Arsenic):  https://amzn.to/4iR8qWN
  3. Fruit Snack —  That’s It Apple Cherry Bars, not organic (positive for traces of Arsenic): https://amzn.to/4fHkSWV
  4. Oil — Chosen Foods 100% Pure Avocado oil, organic (postive for traces of Arsenic): https://amzn.to/3BVQYQa
  5. Supplement — (adult) — Now Sunflower Lecithin, not organic (positive for traces of Arsenic): https://amzn.to/3AFdHzO
  6. Supplement — (adult) — WishGarden Immune Boost Seasonal Rescue for Pregnancy: https://amzn.to/3Cd940N

Published: November 5, 2024

Please scroll down to see the full original laboratory test report for the product pictured above. Thank you.

As there are almost no reasonable safety thresholds proposed for toxicants (heavy metals) consumed by adults (in foods and supplements), our focus is (as always) on the health of children. The available proposed safety thresholds (and guidance) for foods consumed by adults are not set at levels protective of human health and are therefore not relevant to the work we do here at Lead Safe Mama, LLC.

To see more articles related to the laboratory testing of foods and supplements Lead Safe Mama, LLC is conducting (including background on this initiative and safer food choices and guidelines), click the pink square below. To see the full, independent, third-party laboratory report for the product pictured above, please scroll down to the bottom of this page.

Amazon links are affiliate links. If you purchase something after clicking on a Lead Safe Mama, LLC Amazon affiliate link, Lead Safe Mama, LLC may receive a percentage of what you spend — at no extra cost to you.

Lab report for the product pictured above:

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