Acrylamide: Save our fries! Belgians say EU spares national dish

According to a Reuters report, Belgium’s national dish, the deep fried potato sticks that much of the English-speaking world gallingly calls “French fries“, has been saved. So, at least, the national government said last week as the European Union agreed to amend food safety rules aimed at curbing cancer. Belgium’s farm minister claimed the EU will now spare the nation’s “friteries” from having to change traditional preparation methods. “The Belgian fry is saved! Europe has listened to Belgium,” Agriculture Minister Willy Borsus said in a statement. In a statement issued in Brussels, the European Commission said EU governments had agreed to its proposals to force cafes and restaurants to apply measures aimed at reducing the presence of carcinogenic acrylamide in food. Frying, baking and roasting produce the substance out of natural acids and sugars. Some argue that Belgium’s traditional method of frying potatoes twice to get crunchy chips creates more acrylamide. Reuters report