Belgium's twice-fried chip culture saved from EU ban

The traditional Belgian method of frying chips twice has been saved from a ban, after the European Commission amended a draft law on limiting the chemical acrylamide from reaching consumers.

An earlier version of the text, which prompted an outcry in Belgium, would have required fries to be blanched or pre-cooked before being delivered to outlets serving fries. The revised text says this procedure is recommended, but not obligatory.

Acrylamide is a natural result of frying some foods at high temperatures. Potatoes in particular produce what some experts consider to be a dangerous level of acrylamide, which is being studied as a cancer-causing chemical.

Federal agriculture minister Willy Borsus said it was important that "national traditions and recipes" were respected. He said: "The European Commission has taken all of our remarks into account and presented an improved text that is both ambitious and achievable."

If approved by the European parliament, the draft regulation on limiting the presence of acrylamide is expected to come into force in spring 2019.