FSA suggests chip shops to cut thicker chips (fries)

The Food Standards Agency (FSA) has launched a project in 80 fish and chip shops across the country aimed at making their food healthier.

Officials want fryers to increase the size and thickness of their chips because chunkier versions absorb less fat in a bid to help tackle Britain's obesity crisis.

They believe making individual chips bigger will slash the calorie content of an average portion of fish and chips, which contains 595 calories and 9.42g of fat.

However, food industry representatives said interfering officials risked ruining Britain's best-loved takeaway meal.

Douglas Roxburgh, president of the National Federation of Fish Fryers, slammed the move as ''ill-thought out'' and ''over the top''.

He said: ''They should be concentrating fast food outlets who make the thin French fries, not the traditional independent chip shop.

''We will be opposing this as much as we can until they make it a level playing field and start asking McDonalds, KFC and Burger King to change their chip sizes too.

The FSA said it also aimed to encourage ''good frying practices'' in fish and chip shops by altering the temperature of their cooking oil and portion sizes.

The pilot scheme was launched in November 2009 and will be extended across Cambridgeshire, Greater Manchester and Northern Ireland this month.