All chips in!

Country’s favorite snack relies on Michigan

March 13, 2024

On March 14, while thousands of people will have a little fun choosing to celebrate the mathematical-themed “Pi” Day by eating varieties of pie, some Michiganders might opt to celebrate the day with one of their favorite snacks—potato chips.

March 14 is also National Potato Chip Day, and the “chip” has deep roots in the Great Lakes State. According to the Detroit Historical Society, making potato chips in Michigan dates to around 95 years ago.

Did you know?

• One in four bags of potato chips comes from Michigan, according to Farmers Advance, a weekly farm and auction publication that has served Michigan, Indiana and Ohio since 1898.
• While the average American eats around four pounds of potato chips per year, Detroiters consume an average of seven pounds.
• Approximately 70% of the two billion pounds of potatoes grown annually in Michigan are sent to potato chip manufacturers, according to Farmers Advance.

According to Michigan Home and Lifestyle, some of Michigan’s favorite potato chips are Downey’s Potato Chips, made in Waterford Township, and Uncle Rays, in Detroit, to mention just a couple of brands. There are others.

Mass production of potato chips started in 1921, approximately 68 years after chef George Speck (also known as George Crum) introduced them in Sarasota Springs, FL.

It is now an approximately $10-billion industry in the United States.

Tasty treat made possible by energy

“Plain, barbecue or ridged, we enjoy a good, crunchy potato chip,” said Paul Meneghini, Enbridge community engagement manager.

“It is easy to grab a bag and they generally hit the spot. There is no wonder they are a favorite snack.”

From the tractors and tillers that help in farming the potatoes, to the trucks that transport them from farms to manufacturers, to the conveyor belts and bags that hold the potato chips, Enbridge’s Line 5 in the Straits of Mackinac plays a critical role.

Michigan's entire manufacturing industry —from potato chips to medicines and automobiles—relies on affordable and reliable sources of energy to make and deliver their products.

“We generally don’t give much thought to how they got into our hands.  The reality is that Line 5 transports safely approximately 540,000 barrels per day of light crude oil, light synthetic crude and natural gas liquids, all of which play a critical role in the production and transportation of potato chips and thousands of other items, like eyewear, medicines, and even kayaks that some of us will put in the water this upcoming summer,” continued Meneghini.

“It’s a fact that life takes energy—all forms of energy,” added Meneghini. “From keeping us warm to helping produce our favorite chip, manufacturing and other industries rely on energy.”

Michiganders have a choice on March 14—celebrate the day with their favorite chip or pie, or perhaps both.

Learn more about National Potato Chip Day in the U.S.