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| - The video shows no evidence of digital manipulation, and the mites it depicts are authentic pests that commonly infest improperly stored food. However, mold mite infestations only occur in the presence of moisture and mold or fungi — suggesting that the video's creator intentionally placed the mites on a chip that had been tampered with, rather than filming a natural infestation.
In January and February 2025, internet users shared a video that purportedly showed an individual placing a Pringles-brand potato chip under a microscope to reveal hundreds of tiny mites crawling on the chip's surface.
The earliest example of the video we found was a Jan. 13 post by TikTok user @justmicroscope, an account that has shared numerous similar videos purporting to show different foods and household items under a microscope. (We've reached out to the account's owner for confirmation that they were the video's original creator, and will update this article if and when we hear back.)
Versions of the same video also appeared in posts on social media platforms including X and Instagram.
In short, the video did authentically show a person handling what appeared to be a real Pringles chip, in the sense that there were no signs the creator used tools like artificial intelligence (AI) software to create or alter those shots. The magnified footage of mites likewise appeared to authentically show real, living animals.
However, the video also showed signs of clever editing and staging, seemingly meant to trick viewers into thinking the video showed a typical Pringles chip straight out of an intact package.
For example, it's impossible to tell from the video whether the mites in the magnified footage were truly on the same chip the video's creator placed under the microscope. It's possible the mites in the magnified footage were on an entirely different (but similarly colored) surface.
Even if the magnified footage did show the same chip, it's possible the creator intentionally placed the mites on it for the purpose of filming, or at least created conditions that encouraged mites to congregate on the chip.
The Pringles can the individual could be seen opening at the beginning of the video had a visibly broken seal — signaling that the chips were not in factory-fresh condition at the start of the video.
The mites in the video appeared to be mold mites — the common name for a range of similar species of tiny arachnids that feed on the mold and fungi that grow in humid environments.
According to an informational page maintained by Iowa State University, mold mite infestations are known to occur in "cheese, flour, grain, seeds, bulbs, straw, wallpaper, furniture, dried fruits, cereal foods, bird and small mammal nests and so forth." The one commonality across all these types of infestation is the presence of moisture or humidity.
In other words, the mites shown in the video would not naturally be attracted to a dry Pringles chip that was properly stored in intact packaging. For a mold mite infestation to occur, the chip would need to be wet — or at least located in a non-sterile, high-humidity environment — and already growing the mold or fungi that make up the mites' diet.
We've previously investigated similar videos purporting to show microscope footage of mites and other creatures on common food items, such as Oreos and instant ramen.
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