They’re Treated with a Chemical That’s Also Used to Remove Hair and Feathers from Livestock

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Not to startle you, but one of the ingredients in Tater Tots is disodium dihydrogen pyrophosphate, which has many culinary applications and is generally recognized as safe by the FDA. It helps leaven baked goods, maintains color in canned seafood, and in this application, keeps the potatoes from turning off-colors like gray or brown. It’s also used to remove stains in leather processing, as a dispersant in oil will drilling, and (mixed with hot water) for hair and feather removal during hog and poultry slaughter.