Food
Hot chips
Introduction
Our test shows some companies are way better than others at serving healthier fries.
We bought and tested hot chips from 8 fast-food chains in Auckland. Cooking methods and oils are standard across chain outlets, so the results are relevant nationwide. We also included two independent takeaway shops to see how they stacked up.
We were looking for products that were low in fat (especially saturated and trans fats), low in sodium, and not too high in energy.
What we found
Top chips
Our winners were ... Burger Fuel, Burger Wisconsin, and Nando's. All these hot chips had less than 10 percent fat and were cooked in canola oil or a vegetable blend.
Domino's Pizza would also have been in this group - except it had the highest sodium content of all the chips we tested.
Fat
KFC and Pizza Hut did OK in the total-fat stakes. But they were let down by being cooked in palm oil, which is high in saturated fat.
Fast-food giants McDonald's and Burger King topped the fat stakes.
McDonald's fries had 16.5 percent fat, more than double the fat in Nando's. Burger King wasn't far behind. Its chips had 15.1 percent fat, of which nearly half was "bad" saturated fat. That's because they're cooked in beef tallow.
Sodium
The sodium content varied greatly among the outlets we tested. Of those that salted their chips, the lowest were McDonald's and Burger Fuel (80mg) and the highest Domino's Pizza at 430mg. McDonald's had the lowest sodium content of the big chains.
Burger Wisconsin doesn't salt its chips. Customers are given a salt sachet so they can choose how much or how little salt to add. We think this is a good move.
Independent chip shops
How bad is your local chippie? That depends on several factors (see What makes chips unhealthy?). Both the takeaway stores in our test cooked their fries in beef tallow. But many others use canola and vegetable blends - so they'd be a healthier choice.
The independents had the largest serving sizes. JR's Seafoods 'n Takeaways sold us a scoop that weighed nearly 600g. That's nearly double what The Chip Group recommends as an acceptable portion (see "The Chip Group").
Our verdict
We're pleased to see some improvements have been made since our last test (in 2004). Although McDonald's hasn't reduced its total fat content, it's changed its oil and so the amount of saturated fat in its chips has significantly reduced. Nando's and Burger Wisconsin are also serving healthier chips.
We're disappointed that KFC and Pizza Hut are still frying in palm oil - and Burger King in beef tallow. Burger King told us it is reviewing what it fries in.
See the Test results for full details of how all the chips fared in our test.
Test results
Guide to the tables
Our test was conducted by an independent laboratory. Chips are listed by energy content - lowest energy content is at top.
- A independent outlets
- B salt sachet separate
What makes chips unhealthy?
- Portion size: Bigger isn't better when it comes to portion size. If you super-size your chips, you super-size their energy, fat (including saturated fat) and sodium.
- Chip size and shape: Thin, shoestring, and crinkle-cut chips are all more likely to have a higher fat content. That's because they have more surface area than thick straight chips - and so they absorb more fat.
- Fat: Both good and bad fats are high in energy. They contain twice as much energy per gram as carbohydrates or proteins do.
- Bad fat: Saturated and trans fats raise the amount of LDL (bad) cholesterol in your body. And that's not all ... trans fats also decrease the levels of HDL (good) cholesterol levels. And saturated fat can increase blood clotting, which may lead to a heart attack or stroke.
Beef fat (beef tallow) is like all animal fats - it's high in saturated fat. But some vegetable oils are also high in bad fats. These include palm oil (high in saturated fat) and hydrogenated vegetable oil (may be high in trans fats). - Sodium: High sodium intake is associated with high blood pressure, which is a risk factor for heart disease and stroke.
The maximum daily amount of sodium that adults can consume without increasing their risk of high blood pressure is 2300mg. A mere 920mg is adequate for good health.
Children need less sodium because of their smaller body weight.
The Chip Group
The Chip Group, a partnership between industry groups and the Heart Foundation, was set up to promote "best practice" frying in takeaway shops and to improve the nutritional profile of hot chips.
In March 2008 The Chip Group launched the world's first set of industry standards aimed at helping independent chip shop operators make chips healthier. The Ministry of Health has even stumped up some cash - it granted funding to help implement the programme.
There are seven training standards for independent operators covering chip size (thick straight chips), portion size (one scoop equals 330g), cooking temperature, drainage (bang or shake the basket vigorously, do it again, then hang for 20 seconds), oil maintenance, salt (provide salt sachets rather than adding salt directly), and education and training.
The group is working with industry to establish two additional sets of industry standards for food service and fast-food chains.
The Chip Group also runs the That's Life! Best Chip Shop Competition. In 2007 the six regional winners had an average fat content of 7.6 percent, with the winning shop only having 3.7 percent.
Our view
- It shouldn't be too hard for fast-food outlets to produce chips that are low in fat, low in sodium and not too high in energy. You can buy chips that fit this profile in supermarkets, and fast-food outlets are well aware of the pressure they're under to improve the nutritional quality of their products.
- According to the National Heart Foundation, Kiwis eat about seven million servings of hot chips every week - that's nearly two servings a week for each person. Making them lower in fat and salt could have a big impact on our health.
- We'd like all takeaway outlets to use healthier vegetable oil (or blends), offer small portion sizes, use thick straight chips, and refine their frying practices.
- Better cooking techniques (such as correct frying temperatures, banging and shaking the basket of chips, then hanging the basket before serving) will reduce the fat content.
Big spenders
In 2007 our fast-food industry spent more than $55 million on TV advertising. That's nearly $13 for each individual New Zealander - and it's about nine times more than was spent on TV ads for fruit and vegetables.
The sheer amount of advertising by the big chains sees them constantly on our TV screens. We surveyed the number of fast-food ads screened on TV1, TV2, TV3, Prime, SKY and C4 for one week in April. McDonald's was the biggest spender. We saw 170 ads for McDonald's (this included recruitment ads). Burger King clocked in at 162 ads and KFC 122. Pizza Hut, Wendy's, and Domino's Pizza also made an appearance.
More from consumer.org.nz
Report by Belinda Allan