Crisps and biscuits to become pale imitations

BISCUITS and crisps will lose their golden brown colour because of rules forcing manufacturers to reduce a chemical found in burnt food that could increase the risk of cancer.

The snacks will become paler from April when makers of foods containing acrylamide must prove they are reducing levels of the chemical or face fines.

Industry figures said the products would now be baked at lower temperatures for longer, meaning they would lose their colour but not their crunch.

Biscuits and crisps made by brands such as Fox’s and Marks & Spencer contain raised levels of acrylamide, which forms when potatoes and grain-based items are cooked above 120C. Dr Lisa Ackerley, food safety adviser at the British Hospitality Association, said: “Companies are making good progress. When you compare the colour of crisps from a few years ago to now, today’s are much lighter.”