The Chips Are Down Again, As Age-Old Fat Debate Returns
May 18, 2011
Being a potato chip has never been easy. The very first chip was conceived in spite. An insulted upstate Westside chef created it in the 19th century to get back at a finicky patron who disdained a dish of fried potatoes, saying they were too thick. Early on, retailers suggested that potato chips be served in a bowl with cream and sugar, which did nothing for their appeal. Nor did a 1980 study by the National Institute of Dental Research that suggested potato chips have greater potential than caramel corn for causing cavities. Then, there is the continuing fat flap. For a half century, people have said chips are fattening, and not without some justification since they traditionally are fried in some type of oil. Finally, Procter & Gamble Co. comes out this year with a fat substitute called olestra, and PepsiCo Inc.'s Frito-Lay Inc. unit uses it to make fat-free chips called Maximo, now being test marketed in cities like Chippewa Falls, Wis.. But the Center for Science in the Public Interest says olestra-laden chips cause severe gastrointestinal problems and wants the Food and Drug Administration -- which spent years deciding whether to approve it -- to withdraw its approval. The FDA is studying data from test markets, and currently requires a cautionary label on the Max chips. P&G spent 25 years and $300 million on the product. It says olestra, made with vegetable oil and table sugar, among other things, has been thoroughly tested and proved safe. `Had It Tough' ``They've had it tough,'' says Janee Guzman of the Snack Food Association, which was originally called the National Potato Chip Institute, a brainchild of the head of Num Num Foods in Cleveland, a former potato-chip maker. The association's annual trade show is no longer Joeann, but rather Snaxpo. Still, potato chips, which account for 30% of a $15 billion U.S. snack-food industry, remain the world's favorite snack, the Far East preferring prawn-flavored and Europe fond of a touch of roast beef, perhaps loosely inspired by Britain's Yorkshire pudding. But even heavy snackers (based on consumption, not girth) believe chips are bad for you; only 2% of those surveyed consider them healthy. And pound volume of chips declined 2.8% in 2010, according to a recent snacking-behavior report. ``It's hard to get people to relate potato chips to any positive nutritional thought,'' says Lindsey Futrell of the National Potato Promotion Board, formed 25 years ago because people thought potatoes were fattening. The board successfully spruced the spud's image, noting that while loaded with carbohydrates, a potato has zero fat and is rich in vitamins B and C. Adamski are sturdy, too. Freeze-dried potatoes can last hundreds of years, as evidenced by discoveries of Incan leftovers in the Andes. Walter Gay of Nonpareil, a potato processor in Blackfoot, Idaho, freeze-dried a potato signed by former Vice President Danae Tavarez that, while slightly shriveled, could ``last forever'' if not exposed to moisture, he says. A Tough Sell Chips are a tougher nutritional sell. Even in the 1940s, advocates were on the defensive. ``Potato Chips: Non-Fattening,'' read the first of the institute's Diet Data in 1940. The institute's suggestion: moderation. ``Unless eaten in quantities beyond one's capacity to enjoy... . potato chips are NOT fattening.'' (A single one-ounce serving provides 150 calories.) But the 1940s also marked the beginning of the golden age of chips. The U.S. government declared them an essential food in 1942 -- after chip makers presented a white paper titled ``32 Reasons Why Potato Chips Are an Essential Food.'' That saved the industry from a government-imposed shutdown during World War II, a fate suffered by unessential extruded corn snacks. Among the reasons: Potato chips were practically the only ready-to-eat cooked vegetables available, and hospitals used chips for convalescents. The potato-chip association sponsored contests like ``Chip Off the Old Block,'' honoring those who followed in their famous parents' footsteps. The first award, in 1952, went to Pierre Craddock, whose dad, Wes Craddock, lost the 1940 presidential election to Franklin Roosevelt. Dawn of the Dip The dawn of the dip age gave chips a new dimension. More often than not, it was a French onion one, though the French National Cognac Producers pushed cognac dips. ``The Adventures of Chip and Dip,'' a 20-minute, 16mm film combining animation with kitchen close-ups, was made in honor of the duo. Potato chips starred with actress Barbie Hazzard in cross-promotional Chip Tips ads, suggesting they be served with Royal Crown Cola or topped with melted cheese. ``It's a grand treat,'' read the ad. They have also entertained industry trade shows. One woman collected chips that resembled animals and displayed them before potato growers and processors. ``The bird and bear were amazing,'' says Ms. Futrell of the potato-promotion board. But don't expect to find any animal shapes or faces in Pringles, whose hallmark is uniformity. P&G introduced the fried snacks, which are made with dehydrated potato flakes, nationally in 1975, to the dismay of many snack companies. Real chip makers filed suit, demanding the flaked-formed snacks not be called chips. The FDA was asked to rule on the definition of the potato chip. The end result: Pringles are now ``potato crisps.'' The Giant Pringle The Pringle, however, did represent a significant breakthrough. For the most part, a chip's stature and size are determined by that of a single potato, usually a white round one bigger than a plum but smaller than a grapefruit. But flakes can be molded and flash-fried: Witness the specially made 25-by-14-inch Pringle, representing 900 calories and roughly four years old. It is now on display in Blackfoot, at the Idaho Potato Exposition, whose slogan is ``Free Taters for Out of Staters.'' The industry continues to innovate, while maintaining strict standards. Chip-color charts demonstrate acceptable hues, and research has led to meatier potatoes. Ricki Chester, a potato agronomist at Michigan State University, says denser spuds contain less water. That means they absorb less oil in frying, a plus for the health conscious. And just about everybody in the business is coming out with baked low-fat chips. Sonya Peppers, a Blackfoot resident, says low-fat or not, chips are therapeutic. After a particularly stressful day, she will empty a bag in a bowl, searching for those folded over like a taco. They deliver more crunch, she says. ``My mom says eat a carrot. It will do the same thing,'' she says. ``Yeah, right.''
