British breakthrough in healthy eating

[Lichtgestalt]

Now health and safety cut number of holes in chip shop salt shakers

By Polly Dunbar
Last updated at 10:38 PM on 28th June 2008

* commentsComments (28)
* Add to My Stories Add to My Stories

Pot-holed roads, crumbling schools, litter-strewn streets – there’s no shortage of problem areas crying out for their attention.

But councils believe they have found a better use for their money: reducing the number of holes in chip shop salt shakers.

Research has suggested that slashing the holes from the traditional 17 to five could cut the amount people sprinkle on their food by more than half.
Carol Ackerman

Trickle or Treat: Chip shop owner Carol Ackerman shows off an old 17-hole shaker and the new model

And so at least six councils have ordered five-hole shakers – at taxpayers’ expense – and begun giving them away to chip shops and takeaways in their areas.

Leading the way has been Gateshead Council, which spent 15 days researching the subject of salty takeaways before declaring the new five-hole cellars the solution.

Officers collected information from businesses, obtained samples of fish and chips, measured salt content and ‘carried out experiments to determine how the problem of excessive salt being dispensed could be overcome by design’.

They decided that the five-hole pots would reduce the amount of salt being used by more than 60 per cent yet give a ‘visually acceptable sprinkling’ that would satisfy the customer.

The council commissioned Drywite Ltd – a catering equipment company based in the West Midlands – to make five-hole shakers and bought 1,000 of them at a cost of £2,000, giving them away to fast-food outlets in their areas.

Drywite confirms that it has since received orders for the shakers from at least five other councils, including Rochdale Borough in Greater Manchester.

Another giving the shakers away is Labour-controlled Middlesbrough Council, where the idea has run into fierce criticism.

Cllr Chris Hobson, leader of the Conservatives, said: ‘This is just silly, a total waste of money in an area where council tax is very high. I’m all for good health but do they really think they are going to stop people using as much salt simply by putting fewer holes in thecellar? They’ll just shake it for longer.’

Beryl Scott, who owns the Chipchase Chippy in Linthorpe in the city, said a council worker had visited the previous week to explain the merits of less salty fish and chips. ‘He said he had a salt cellar with five holes to give me free.

I thought it was a joke. It doesn’t matter how many holes it has, people are going to put on as much salt as they want.’

Another local chip shop owner, Carol Ackerman, who runs Carol’s Plaice in the suburb of Acklam, said: ‘People will just put on more salt if they want more.
‘In fact, we have had some people unscrewing the lids to do so.’

Gateshead Council defended its decision. A spokesman said: ‘Research carried out by us discovered customers were often receiving huge quantities of salt with their fish and chips – up to half their daily allowance. The council was so disturbed it decided to commission a manufacturer to produce a salt shaker with fewer holes, which it distributed free to every fish and chip shop and hot food takeaway in Gateshead.

‘We believe the cost to be a small price to pay for potentially saving lives.’

The scheme is being promoted by the Local Authorities Coordinators of Regulatory Services, which is responsible for ensuring councils follow food hygiene rules. A spokesman said: ‘Heart disease costs taxpayers £7billion a year so to say that projects such as this are a waste of money is mind-boggling.’

[daffodil]

Watch for the 17 hole shakers appearing on Ebay very soon!

[Morrolan]

nanny state!

[Bender]

This makes sense to me - sometimes the simple solutions work.

[Burbage]

The major problem, of course, is the chips. Not the salt. If they didn't eat so many chips, they wouldn't need so much salt...

[daffodil]

But then what would happen to all that battered, deep fried fish?

[Burbage]

Eat the fish and not the chips. At least you get some nutrition.

[Fat Bob]

Why not just eat soem of the chips and not the whole lot?

[Burbage]

A point I made earlier FB. Eat fewer chips and you need less salt.

The battered fish, by itself, probably uses up your starch allowance for the day. The fish is super good for you, and you need a bit of oil. The only thing wrong with fish and chips is the chips.

In the not so distant past central heating wasn't such a feature in people's houses. Without central heating in winter you need to eat more starch, because it's the fuel that keeps your body warm.

[BFG]

Whether it is good for you or not is immaterial. Last time I looked I was an adult with all the rights and responsibilities that goes with being one.

Gits.

[Burbage]

Eat what you like, of course, but what we need is a method of taxing the fatties so that we don't pay for their medical treatment, in the same way that smokers are taxed. So a tax on sugar, flour, potatoes and rice would go along way to solving that.

[slinky]

Whether it is good for you or not is immaterial. Last time I looked I was an adult with all the rights and responsibilities that goes with being one.

Gits.

Oooh, BFG! Where have you been lately?? Haven't seen you on here calling anyone 'Gits' in awhile. Didn't even realize I'd missed it until just now.....

[Aliya]

Why do people eat freaking chips anyway?

[daffodil]

'cos they taste better than tofu.

[Fat Bob]

Whether it is good for you or not is immaterial. Last time I looked I was an adult with all the rights and responsibilities that goes with being one.

Gits.

That works fine in Singapore. Doesn't work in the UK, where many people ignore their responibilities and then expect someone else to pay for it.

Though to me, if I wanted more salt than would come out of the 5-holed salt shakers, I'd just shake for longer. Or if I was taking it home, do it there instead. Salt is a cheap commodity.

[T2K]

This is why state health care sucks. "I'll get fat and get diabetes, heart disease, and lung cancer and let the marathon runners pay for it, suckers!"

There needs to be a personal, financial reason to stay healthy. "Stay fit and spend this money on a new car or get fat and spend it on doctors and insulin?"

[Possum]

"A spokesman said: ‘Research carried out by us discovered customers were often receiving huge quantities of salt with their fish and chips – up to half their daily allowance."

Whats so wrong with having "half" your daily allowance in one hit?

[Fresh Mint]

Eat what you like, of course, but what we need is a method of taxing the fatties so that we don't pay for their medical treatment, in the same way that smokers are taxed. So a tax on sugar, flour, potatoes and rice would go along way to solving that.

If it wasn't for the tax on cigarettes, Britain's national health service would be in even worse shape than it apparently is.

[Fresh Mint]

This is why state health care sucks. "I'll get fat and get diabetes, heart disease, and lung cancer and let the marathon runners pay for it, suckers!"

There needs to be a personal, financial reason to stay healthy. "Stay fit and spend this money on a new car or get fat and spend it on doctors and insulin?"

Perhaps I'm late to the game, but I heard recently that some insurance companies give decent rebates to policy holders who can prove they regularly attend and train at a recognised gym.

Good idea.

[Burbage]

Eat what you like, of course, but what we need is a method of taxing the fatties so that we don't pay for their medical treatment, in the same way that smokers are taxed. So a tax on sugar, flour, potatoes and rice would go along way to solving that.

If it wasn't for the tax on cigarettes, Britain's national health service would be in even worse shape than it apparently is.

Zigactly.

[Fat Bob]

This is why state health care sucks. "I'll get fat and get diabetes, heart disease, and lung cancer and let the marathon runners pay for it, suckers!"

There needs to be a personal, financial reason to stay healthy. "Stay fit and spend this money on a new car or get fat and spend it on doctors and insulin?"

Perhaps I'm late to the game, but I heard recently that some insurance companies give decent rebates to policy holders who can prove they regularly attend and train at a recognised gym.

Good idea.

Insurance companies are not part of the state health care system. But yes, it is a good idea, but mainly in the states. Not made it to Singapore yet, most health insurance doesn't even require a medical.