EU directive could affect famous Belgian frites

The way that the world famous Belgian frites’ are made could be affected by a new EU directive, this according to Flemish Tourism Minister Ben Weyts. The directive, which is currently in the draft stage,  is seeking to reduce the amount of acrylamide in food.

Acrylamide is a natural by-product of the cooking process, particularly found in starchy foods such as potatoes. Recent tests by scientists have concluded that acrylamide in food has the potential to cause cancer that it would be “prudent to reduce exposure”.

One of the suggestions from the draft directive is that the frites are blanched in water prior to cooking, however this practise goes against the Flemish tradition and has led to Mr Weyts writing a letter to the EU Commissioner Vytenis Andriukaitis in order to safeguard method.

Photo: Wikimedia Commons