PA047/A/07 Celebrating Local Chips

As part of the National Chip Week, many Northern Ireland chip shops are participating in the annual celebration of that culinary classic “the potato chip”.

While the British Potato Council is encouraging consumers that potato chips can be eaten as part of a healthy balanced diet, Steven Millar who leads the Department of Agriculture & Rural Development (DARD) Chip Initiative chose the launch of National Chip Week to highlight the on-going programme of work. He explained that: “The aim of the Chip Initiative is to increase the availability and acceptability of high quality fresh chips produced and processed from locally grown potato varieties on a year round basis to satisfy local consumer’s demands.

Praising the Chip initiative team’s efforts, Steven continued: “To date the initiative team have successfully identified new varieties of potatoes which have proven acceptable to local consumer demands for both eating quality and appearance. Extensive consumer trials including taste panels have been carried out to validate local consumer’s attitudes to these new varieties that have also demonstrated significant potential to satisfy the local processor’s requirement for a potato variety that provides both a high chip yield and a consistent good fry colour.”

The next challenge within the initiative is for College of Agriculture, Food and Rural Enterprise (CAFRE) Crops Technologists to identify the production and storage techniques that will assist Northern Ireland potato producers grow, store and supply local chip shop and food service outlets with a consistent high quality chip from locally grown varieties.

Nick Price Chairperson of “Taste of Ulster” commented: “The CHIP Initiative is providing essential technical and business support to the local potato supply chain. Working together, producers and processors are demonstrating that the local food service sector’s demand for a high quality consistent supply of potato chips from Northern Ireland potatoes can be met”.