Friday, Jul 24, 2026 The claims desk. Receipts included. POWERED BY LENZ
IsThis

HEALTH

The Claim

Storing potatoes in a refrigerator causes them to become carcinogenic.

The Short Version

This claim is false. Refrigerating potatoes does not make them carcinogenic. The underlying science shows that cold storage can increase sugar levels in potatoes ("cold sweetening"), which *may* lead to higher acrylamide formation when potatoes are later cooked at high temperatures — but acrylamide forms during cooking, not storage. Moreover, updated UK Food Standards Agency evidence (2022) found home fridge storage doesn't materially increase acrylamide-forming potential compared to cool, dark storage. Acrylamide itself is only a "probable" human carcinogen based on animal studies, with no confirmed link at typical dietary levels.

Caveats

  • The claim conflates a multi-step process (storage → cooking → acrylamide) with storage alone causing cancer — a false cause fallacy.
  • Acrylamide is classified as a 'probable' human carcinogen based on animal studies; epidemiological evidence has not confirmed a causal link at typical dietary exposure levels.
  • Updated 2022 UK Food Standards Agency guidance, based on COT-reviewed evidence, found that home fridge storage does not materially increase acrylamide-forming potential compared to cool, dark storage.

The Receipts

  1. Acrylamide

    European Food Safety Authority (EFSA)

  2. Acrylamide and Cancer Risk

    National Cancer Institute (NCI)

  3. Acrylamide | Food Standards Agency

    Food Standards Agency (UK)

  4. Nutritional-environmental trade-offs in potato storage and ... - PMC

    PMC (PubMed Central)

  5. The Effect of Domestic Preparation of Some Potato Products on Acrylamide Content

    PubMed Central (NIH)

  6. Acrylamide and Cancer Risk | American Cancer Society

    American Cancer Society

  7. Acrylamide | National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences

    National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS)

  8. Natural Toxins in Food Plants - Glycoalkaloids in Potatoes

    Centre for Food Safety (Hong Kong)

  9. Something's Burning - Acrylamide in Heat-Processed Food

    Singapore Food Agency (SFA)

  10. Can I store potatoes in the fridge? - Good Housekeeping

    Good Housekeeping

+ 2 more sources — see the full list on Lenz

Filed Under

potatoesrefrigerator