Processed potatoes are as popular as the real thing

Britons and choosing not to cook potatoes at home and are instead buying the vegetable in processed form as crisps, chips or in ready-made meals, figures released yesterday reveal.

The pace of modern life and lack of time are among the reasons for the change in eating habits, the British Potato Council says.

A decade ago, between 70 per cent and 80 per cent of potatoes sold were for the fresh market through greengrocers or shops. But those sales have gradually fallen, while demand for processed potatoes has risen. For the first time, sales of processed and fresh potatoes are roughly the same.

Some 30 per cent of processed potatoes are eaten as crisps, 10 per cent are dehydrated and tinned, and 60 per cent are consumed as chips, frozen potatoes or other potato products.

Chips, crisps and processed food have been blamed for the growing problem of obesity, particularly among the young. About one in five Britons is clinically obese and about half are seriously overweight.