We’ve got a product here called Vege Chips. I assume the same or similar products are on sale around the world and all would be carrying the same implications of ‘health’ and ‘wellbeing’ resulting from eating them.
The selling points on the pack are that these things are Gluten Free, and contain 40% less fat than regular chips (crisps). However they are also far more complex than your average ‘chip/crisp’.
Looking at the back of the Vege Chips packet you see the ingredients listed as Cassava, Tapioca flour and starch, Sunflower Oil, Sesame Seeds, Vegetables (Chinese Cabbage, Garlic, Shallot Leaves), Cane Sugar, Sea Salt, Natural Herbs, Spices and Spice extracts, Dextrose (made from Tapioca), Food Acid (330).
On the back of the potato chips packet you see listed as ingredients, potatoes, vegetable, salt.
Potato chips/crisps are sliced, cooked in oil and sprinkled with salt. That’s it. Bearing in mind the processing that the ingredients in the Vege Chips have to undergo before they are firm enough to retain their shape, which one is really the healthier option?
Is it worth it for a reduction in oil and fat levels? I don’t know. The Vege Chips contain far less saturated fats it’s true but the percentages are a little less than accurate as the packet of potato chips shows a total of 32% fats (total) where the Vege Chips shows 20% (total).
Basically it seems ‘yer pays yer money and takes yer choice’. Best bet might be to just eat neither!! 😀
The Eclectic Interweb 
Drat – does this mean that some potatoes aren’t vegetarian??
There is also the fact of dangerous cyanide levels and the fact that Ajita’s brand are owned by the Science of Identity cult, who according to a former member were aware of the health implications as well as other contaminates being added to the product.
Dangerous cyanide levels? Oh nice. I doubt we’ll be buying them for the kids again!
Thanks.
Ah – that explains a lot ….