Big Brother With a Chip on ‘is Shoulder, Innit?

Posted by Baylen on Mar. 4, 2010

skitched-20100304-074447.jpgFacing a severe economic crisis and renewed tensions with Argentina over the disputed Falkland Islands, the Daily Mail reports the British government is focusing attention on the dimensions of the country’s French fries:

They have been a staple of British cuisine for more than a century.

But traditional chips are the latest target in the Government’s war on obesity.

Chip shop owners are being encouraged to produce thicker versions because they contain fewer calories and less fat.

Chippy owners, however, have condemned what they see as an attack on their cooking.

The traditional British chip is already thicker – and therefore healthier – than the French fries served by big fast-food chains.

Despite this, officials from the Food Standards Agency watchdog are encouraging chip shop owners to produce even thicker versions, much like potato wedges.

[...]

The FSA scheme will cover Cambridgeshire, Greater Manchester and Northern Ireland by the end of this month. Officials will visit 80 chip shops to examine how much fat is in their chips and offer advice.

If the pilot scheme is successful it will be rolled out across the country and last two years. Other small caterers including Indian and Chinese takeaways will be included.

A spokesman for the FSA said: ‘The aim of the pilot project is to produce some targeted advice for businesses which is simple, practical and easy to implement.’

Right. Because they’re from the government and they’re here to help. Here’s some targeted advice for government: sod off.

More fry madness here.

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  • great stuff
  • Joe
    And all that time you've spent to deal with that government advisor doesn't waste time and money while you be polite when you really want to tell them to eat it. What a horrific waste of tax dollars.... taking people's hard earned money and spending it on a program to try and convince the vendors they frequent to sell them food they don't want while the vendors pay their tax dollars further supporting being hounded for selling a product in demand. Meanwhile, it's a damned french fry! It's not like they're selling strychnine. Here I thought we'd reached the pinnacle of beauracy in the US.
  • To be fair it's only advice being offered, not an instruction There's nothing that forces the chip shop owners to take it.

    This is more a story about waste of resources at a time when public finances are supposed to be under pressure.
  • huadpe
    Yeah, because when a government agent comes and gives you "advice," it doesn't scare the bejeebus out of chip shop owners, as well as get people put into databases and otherwise treated like criminals for the crime of serving delicious delicious food.
  • "I'm afraid I'm gonna have to pull rank on you. I didn't want to have to do this. I'm with the Mattress Police. There are no tags on these mattresses. "

    Quote explained.
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