Is the classic potato chip/crisp losing its appeal?

They may not be the healthiest of foods but crisps are still the second most popular snack in the UK, research shows. But with crisps made from other vegetables and even fruit now on the market, is the classic potato crisp under threat?

Whether you like them salted, peppered, plain or hand-cooked, eating crisps is practically a British pastime.

A third of children eat crisps daily, according to research by YouGov and 40% of UK adults eat crisps at lunchtime.

Our taste for the salty treats does not appear to be waning either as our spend on crisps, nuts and snacks increased by 29% to £3.3 billion over 2007-12, reports market research firm Mintel.

But the crisp market as we know it is changing, as consumers look to find healthier alternatives to fried potato snacks including popcorn and root vegetable snacks.

Walkers is still one of the leading crisp brands in the UK and holds a 56% share of the potato snack and popcorn market.

The amount of salt in Walkers brands has been cut by between 25% and 55% since 2005 says owner PepsiCo - equivalent to taking 2,400 tonnes of salt and 40,000 tonnes of saturated fat per year out of the UK diet.

"We've been working hard to ensure our product range offers consumers choice,"says a PepsiCo spokesperson.

"That's why, since 2006, we have also launched Walkers Lights, which contain 30% less fat than our core brand;Walkers Baked, which contains 70% less fat and SunBites;which deliver at least 16g of wholegrain per pack."