Do not assume peeling makes a broadly green or heavily sprouting potato suitable to eat. Germany's BfR advises against old, dried, green or strongly germinating potatoes.
Separate a local eye from poor overall condition
BfR says to remove eyes and green parts generously, while identifying old, green and strongly sprouting potatoes as unsuitable. Cutting one spot does not rescue a potato in poor overall condition.
Colour does not measure the toxin
Potato glycoalkaloids can be concentrated in green, sprouting or damaged areas and the peel. Do not calculate a safe dose from a photograph or sprout length. This guide invents no centimetre threshold.
Do not perform a taste test
BfR advises against eating a potato dish that tastes bitter. That is not an instruction to deliberately taste raw potatoes or suspect food. Baking or boiling alone does not establish that a concerning potato has become suitable.
Improve storage for the next batch
BfR recommends cool, dark and dry storage. Check the location rather than keeping a transparent bag at a sunny window. Buy manageable quantities and inspect older potatoes before mixing them with new ones.
Turn observations into a decision
| Observation or wording | Meaning and limit | Next action |
|---|---|---|
| Fresh, firm tuber with one small eye | Different condition from extensive greening or strong sprouting | Remove peel and the small eye generously; check the remaining tuber |
| Extensive green or strong sprouting | Condition BfR advises sorting out | Exclude from food rather than relying on peeling as a rescue |
| Old, dried or shrivelled tuber | Unlike the fresh, undamaged potatoes BfR recommends | Reselect usable potatoes and check the storage location |
| Bitter taste encountered while eating | Not a reason to continue eating | Stop eating; do not deliberately taste as a test |
A worked example
Fictional cupboard: A is firm with one small eye; B is widely green with several long sprouts. Do not apply A's eye-removal procedure to B. Exclude B from food and inspect light, moisture and the other potatoes in storage. This visual classification is not a measurement of toxin concentration.
Official sources checked
Official sources checked 12 October 2026. AI assisted writing and translation; numbers, scope and sentence meaning were reviewed repeatedly. No individual product test or personal diagnosis or prescription is provided.