As of: March 17, 2024, 7:31 a.m
By: Laura Hindelang
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Should you throw away sprouting potatoes?
Or can you just cut the spots away and still eat the tubers?
A rule of thumb provides information.
Potatoes are one of the healthiest staple foods.
They provide valuable vitamins, minerals and vegetable protein.
The natural ingredients of the nightshade plant also include toxins, so-called glycoalkaloids, which are mainly found in the shell.
This is generally harmless to humans.
However, if the tubers begin to germinate, caution is advised.
Germinating potatoes produce toxins
If the potatoes are stored for too long or too brightly, whitish-green shoots will form that produce solanine.
The substance belongs to the glycoalkaloids and can be harmful to health, informs the
health insurance company AOK
.
When germinating, the concentration of the toxin more than doubles and collects in the sprouts and their roots.
Greenish discolored areas in the shell also indicate an increased solanine content.
At the same time, the tubers lose vitamins and minerals.
But that doesn't mean you can't eat the potatoes anymore.
Potatoes should be cooked with their skins on and then peeled.
© Martin Bäuml Photodesign/Imago
If the potatoes are small and only have a few germs, there is hardly any health risk, according to
Ökotest
.
The rule of thumb is: If the sprouts are no larger than one centimeter, you can remove large areas of them and then process the potatoes further.
As soon as the sprouts are longer or the peel changes color, you should dispose of the tubers as a precaution, advise both
Ökotest
and
AOK
.
If the potatoes taste bitter after cooking, you should also refrain from eating them.
Tip: potato storage
To prevent potatoes and onions from germinating so quickly, there is a simple and effective trick.
Store both in special storage boxes
(promotional link)
.
The plastic containers ensure optimal conditions so that potatoes and onions last for a long time.
Poisoning after eating sprouting potatoes is rare
Poisoning with glycoalkaloids rarely occurs in practice.
As a rule, potatoes have a glycoalkaloid content of 20 to 100 milligrams per kilogram.
According to the
AOK,
symptoms of poisoning are possible from a value of over 200 milligrams of glycoalkaloids per kilo of potatoes, but health consequences can occur from an amount of 100 milligrams.
This was shown in the case of a family who poisoned themselves by eating boiled and baked potatoes in November 2015.
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The Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR)
then collected and evaluated
further data on glycoalkaloid levels in potatoes and recommended lowering the maximum recommended glycoalkaloid content to 100 milligrams of solanine per kilogram of table potatoes.
According to AOK,
signs of poisoning are
:
nausea
stomach pain
Vomit
Diarrhea
Fever
In the case of more severe poisoning: disruption of circulatory and respiratory activity as well as damage to the central nervous system
Since 95 percent of the solanine is in the peel, potatoes should generally be eaten without the peel, advises
Pharmacy Umschau
.
According to AOK
, it is a myth
that tubers with peel are healthier .
However, you should only remove the peel after cooking.
This means vitamins and minerals are preserved.
Since the toxins also pass into the cooking water, you should not use it, but rather dispose of it, according to
Pharmacy Umschau
.
Prevent germination with proper storage
To prevent potatoes from sprouting, it is important to store them correctly.
If you follow a few simple guidelines, potatoes will stay fresh for much longer.
For example, the tubers should be stored in a cool, dark and dry place, ideally in a cellar.
They begin to germinate at a temperature of ten degrees Celsius.
Solanine is also formed under the influence of light, informs the
AOK
.
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However, it shouldn't be too cold when storing.
Below four degrees, the tubers react more sensitively and convert their starch into sugar.
The refrigerator is therefore not suitable as a storage place.