Budget buster in my pantry! Help

[tikilyn]

This is driving me crazy. I don't know whats causing my chips to taste like paint. I do stock up on chips and a new bag tends to sit on the top shelf no more than a month before we open them. I've never had a problem with them before but about a year ago when we would open a bag of chips they would taste like paint. It's driving me crazy because we have to throw them out and thats wasting money!!

All my other foods taste fine, it's just the chips. Has this happened to anyone else? Do you know what is causing this. My pantry does share the space with the washer and dryer but they are on the other side of the pantry. ugh!!!

 

[semo233]

If the only thing that is tasting funny is the chips, and they are the same brand of chips all the time, then something tells me that they might have changed the recipe for the chips and that is your problem. Have you tried different brands?

 

[tikilyn]

It doesn't matter what brand of chips they are. Corn chips are the worst but our cheese puffs, Doritos, and Layes are affected too. At first we were thinking maybe lead paint might have been used in the pantry but this house was built new in 2004 so I doubt that it's lead base paint.

 

[semo233]

Hhmmmmm....that is interesting and probably frustrating!

Can you just a new home for the chips?

 

[Marionnette]

It's possible that the fat in the chips is going rancid on you. Does the pantry get kind of humid due to the washer and dryer running? Moisture can speed up the breakdown of fats which causes the rancidity. I'm just guessing, but it might be more of a problem now than in the past because they're making the chips with no trans fats in them nowadays.

 

[Poohforyou]

Stop buying chips .

 

[Straitlover]

Try keeping them in an airtight container and see if it still happens. If it does, then you need to find a new home for them.

 

[NotUrsula]

It's possible that the fat in the chips is going rancid on you. Does the pantry get kind of humid due to the washer and dryer running? Moisture can speed up the breakdown of fats which causes the rancidity. I'm just guessing, but it might be more of a problem now than in the past because they're making the chips with no trans fats in them nowadays.

Heat, too. This is what's causing it, and the more pricey the brand the more likely it is to happen, because cheaper brands tend to use more preservatives. The only way I know of to keep oil from going rancid is to store it inside the fridge.

 

[Tinkertude]

I store my unopened chips in the freezer without any unpleasant results

 

[krcit]

I store my unopened chips in the freezer without any unpleasant results

you have unopened chips? I stopped buying chips unless we are having a party because we have no self control!

 

[Shelly F - Ohio]

Look at the ceiling in the pantry. Do you see a water mark? If so your roof or a sink above the pantry is leaking. The water can cause the painted ceiling to give off the odor of paint and the chips are asborbing the odor

 

[seashoreCM]

Does the pantry get excessifly hot in summer?

Have you significantly exceeded the expiration dates on the chips?

 

[tikilyn]

Thanks for all the help! Chips don't last long around here so no expiration date problems. My pantry has an a/c vent so the room doesn't get hot but the garage is on the other side of the wall. We don't store our cars in there either. My sons bedroom is above the pantry so no water leak problem either.

I guess I'm going to have to find a new home for them. Thanks for all the help!

 

[NYCDiane]

Best bet would be to stop consuming chips altogether. They are so, so bad for you. However, if you're a "chip" person, why not just buy the chips on the "day-of"? Like if you know you're going to be watching a movie that night, buy the chips that day.