Foodies are just finding out why fish and chips were wrapped in newspaper

dailyrecord.co.uk:

Ever wondered why fish and chips were traditionally served in newspaper wrapping?Although this practice has long since been abandoned, with chip shops now using plain white paper to wrap our takeaways, Matthew, a staff member from Sankey's Seafood Restaurant in Tunbridge Wells, Kent, took to TikTok to share the history behind this food tradition."There's a rather rich and fascinating history behind it, so before you tear into your next saveloy or battered haddock, learn a few fishy facts," he wrote in a caption accompanying his video. "It all started back in World War 2," Matthew began. "There was a shortage of paper, so shops would wrap your fish and chips to take away in used newspapers."However, it soon became clear that the ink from the newspapers could pose health risks due to its petrol and lead content. "This led to real concerns about lead poisoning through fish and chips," Matthew explained.

He went on to say: "Eventually the EU outlawed wrapping food products in used newspaper. Nowadays, we use certified food-safe products - we've even printed snazzy little lobsters on ours."In a twist of irony, Matthew concluded by noting that some restaurants now print "fake newspaper" to recreate the authentic feel of yesteryears.

He quipped: "What do you reckon, Nige [Nigel Farage]? Now that we're out of the EU, should we be wrapping our fish and chips in old newspaper?

Brexit fish and chips!"A TikTok user expressed surprise at the information, commenting: "This is so interesting," and shared a revelation from their upbringing, adding: "Growing up I was told newsprint is sterile and that's why it was also used in maternity wards in a pinch to deliver babies into when there was a shortage of clean laundry!"Other users joined