CLAIM:

Sprouted potato packed in a tiffin kills children.

FACT: 

False. Eating one or two sprouted potatoes will not kill children; solanine poisoning is rare and only dangerous when large amounts of heavily sprouted or green potatoes are consumed.

Potatoes are among the most commonly used vegetables in Indian households—be it in parathas, curries, or as a quick snack. They are considered a safe for eating and everyday food item, often finding their way into children’s lunch boxes. But can it actually become a silent threat when it begins to sprout?

Every now and then, alarming videos circulate on social media claiming that sprouted or green potatoes can release deadly toxins and even cause death. One such video, shared with First Check on our  WhatsApp tipline, makes a shocking claim: a sprouted potato packed in a child’s tiffin killed two children.

“See how the screams of that mother were echoing in the whole village. The school had called saying your two children are no longer in this world. She had just made a small mistake. She got up early in the morning and made vegetables in the children’s lunch box, potato vegetables. But those potatoes were not completely safe. They had small white and green sprouts on them, which she ignored,”  the person narrates in the video. 

“The same sprouted potato became the reason for the death of her children. Very few people know that when the potato is sprouting, a very dangerous chemical, Solanine, is formed in it. This is a glycoalkaloid poison, which is very low in the normal potato,” the video adds.

“But as soon as the potato is sprouted or green, the amount of Solanine increases many times. This poison goes into the human body and harms the digestive system, nervous system and even the heart and brain. This also happened in this case.”

The video further claims that Solanine had damaged the childrens’ nervous system, attributing this to doctors. 

“The chemical can be lethal for humans at doses above 200 mg. And a medium-sized germinated potato can sometimes produce up to 20 to 50 mg of Solanine,’ the video says. “If 2 to 3 such potatoes are eaten, this amount can directly attack the brain and heart of children.”  The video continues: “The biggest mistake was that the mother kept the potato with the onion. The ethylene gas released from the onion accelerates the germination process of the potato. And in places where it is hot or humid, this process becomes even more dangerous. Not only is Solanine produced, another poison called Chaconine is also produced.”

It added that the latter can destroy the cells of the body and trigger neurological symptoms, leading to patient suffering seizures, shortness of breath and even brain swelling. 

“So never use sprouted or green potatoes. If any potato has any dirt on it or its colour has turned green, throw it away. And most importantly, never store potatoes and onions together,” the video warns.

So, does a sprouted potato packed in a tiffin kill children?

Sprouted or green potatoes do contain natural chemicals called glycoalkaloids—mainly solanine and chaconine—but these are only harmful if eaten in large amounts or when the potato is clearly spoiled. Glycoalkaloids are part of the potato’s natural defence system against pests and disease. In high concentrations, they can cause nausea, stomach pain, vomiting, or diarrhoea. However, the risk of serious illness or death from eating a small amount at home is extremely low.

A case report from Saudi Arabia (2022) described an 11-year-old boy who became sick after eating raw, sprouted potatoes. He developed stomach pain, vomiting, and later breathing issues, but after treatment, he made a full recovery. Importantly, the report did not link his illness to storing potatoes with onions, and also noted that solanine poisoning is rare.

This study suggests that 200–400 mg of glycoalkaloids can cause toxic symptoms in adults, while doses of 20–40 mg may cause it in children. Extremely high doses—around 600 mg or more—are considered potentially lethal. This means a person would need to consume a large quantity of heavily sprouted or green potatoes to reach dangerous levels. Eating one or two sprouted potatoes from a lunchbox would not realistically cause death.

Does storing potatoes with onions make them poisonous? 

There is no scientific evidence that storing potatoes with onions produces toxins. Research on onion and potato storage shows that ethylene gas can influence sprouting and shelf life, but this relates to spoilage, not poisoning. Food safety experts recommend keeping onions and potatoes separate simply because they spoil faster when stored together, not because they become dangerous.

“It is true that sprouted or green potatoes contain solanine, a chemical that can be toxic. But the misconception is that even small sprouts make them deadly. In reality, the harmful effects depend on the quantity consumed. Small sprouts are generally not dangerous,” Dr Rajeshwari Panda, Head of the Dietetics Department at Medicover Hospital, Kharghar Navi Mumbai said. “Only when potatoes are heavily sprouted or very green, and eaten in large amounts, can they cause serious harm—even death. Fortunately, solanine poisoning is extremely rare in India.”

She added that highly sprouted or green potatoes usually develop a bitter taste, which naturally discourages people from eating them. The main symptoms of solanine poisoning, she explained, are similar to other forms of food poisoning and include nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, and digestive discomfort.

Dr Panda dismissed the claim that storing potatoes and onions together makes them toxic. “What happens is that the moisture and gases they release can reduce their shelf life, making them spoil faster. But they do not produce poison. The real precaution is to avoid using potatoes that are very green or heavily sprouted,” she said, advising that potatoes and onions should be stored in cool, dry, and dark places to reduce sprouting. “If you notice that potatoes have turned green or are heavily sprouted, discard them instead of cooking with them.” 

Also read: 3 deadly ‘brain-eating amoeba’ cases reported in Kerala, what you need to know