# Why did they stop serving Fish and Chips in newspaper? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 22, 2007, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-they-stop-serving-fish-and-chips-in-newspaper/412770 "2007-07-22T19:43:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Small\_British\_Shop\_Owner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e56c9b/32.png) [@Small\_British\_Shop\_Owner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Small_British_Shop_Owner)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2007, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-they-stop-serving-fish-and-chips-in-newspaper/412770/1 "2007-07-22T19:43:24Z")
I’m sure it’s for one of two reasons: 1. Health and safety nazis (this is most likely). 2. Old newspapers became too expensive. They started dying out twenty or twenty five years ago, and within a decade they were all but gone. Haven’t seen them seved like this for years, but they did taste better that way. ---
**Author:** ![Bobotheoptimist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/919ad9/32.png) [@Bobotheoptimist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bobotheoptimist)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2007, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-they-stop-serving-fish-and-chips-in-newspaper/412770/2 "2007-07-22T19:50:49Z")
I hate to say something like this in GQ, but I heard somewhere (Good Eats, maybe?) that it was because the ink used in newsprint is not considered food grade. ---
**Author:** ![Rick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9f8e36/32.png) [@Rick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2007, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-they-stop-serving-fish-and-chips-in-newspaper/412770/3 "2007-07-22T19:57:21Z")
Ummmm ink ---
**Author:** ![Small\_British\_Shop\_Owner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e56c9b/32.png) [@Small\_British\_Shop\_Owner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Small_British_Shop_Owner)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2007, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-they-stop-serving-fish-and-chips-in-newspaper/412770/4 "2007-07-22T20:04:19Z")
[QUOTE=Rick] Ummmm ink [/QUOTE] A bit of ink is not exactly harmful. ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2007, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-they-stop-serving-fish-and-chips-in-newspaper/412770/5 "2007-07-22T20:05:30Z")
[QUOTE=Small British Shop Owner] I’m sure it’s for one of two reasons: 1. Old newspapers became too expensive. [/QUOTE] Old newspapers are pretty available, always have been. Not likely. ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2007, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-they-stop-serving-fish-and-chips-in-newspaper/412770/6 "2007-07-22T20:09:28Z")
As a point of reference, the EPA in the US banned lead in ink in 1985. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2007, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-they-stop-serving-fish-and-chips-in-newspaper/412770/7 "2007-07-22T20:21:12Z")
Health and Safety Nazis. Once the trend started for standardized materials for food containment, newspapered F&C were doomed. Now you have to have paper or whathaveyou with a print-free side towards the food, among other requirements. ---
**Author:** ![GorillaMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/50afbb/32.png) [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2007, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-they-stop-serving-fish-and-chips-in-newspaper/412770/8 "2007-07-22T20:25:57Z")
[QUOTE=Small British Shop Owner] They started dying out twenty or twenty five years ago, and within a decade they were all but gone. Haven’t seen them seved like this for years, but they did taste better that way. [/QUOTE] You may pine for them romantically and with rose-tinted taste buds, but I have no recollection of them this way, and my only reaction is ‘ewwwwwwwww’. ---
**Author:** ![Muffin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muffin/32/4341_2.png) [@Muffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Muffin)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2007, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-they-stop-serving-fish-and-chips-in-newspaper/412770/9 "2007-07-22T20:32:36Z")
[Regulation of materials that come in contact with food](http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/site/en/oj/2004/l_338/l_33820041113en00040017.pdf) (e.g. ink), or the decline of journalistic standards brought on by the growth of tabloids in the 80s. Neither are good for one’s system ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2007, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-they-stop-serving-fish-and-chips-in-newspaper/412770/10 "2007-07-22T20:39:28Z")
[QUOTE=Small British Shop Owner] They started dying out twenty or twenty five years ago, and within a decade they were all but gone. Haven’t seen them seved like this for years, but they did taste better that way. [/QUOTE] When’s the earliest and latest you can recall eating fish/chips out of newspapers? Might help to pin this down. ---
**Author:** ![sandra\_nz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/eada6e/32.png) [@sandra\_nz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sandra_nz)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2007, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-they-stop-serving-fish-and-chips-in-newspaper/412770/11 "2007-07-22T20:41:29Z")
I remember eating fish and chips out of a newspaper - however there was always a plain brown paper wrapper directly against the fish and chips. ---
**Author:** ![casdave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c6cbf5/32.png) [@casdave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/casdave)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2007, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-they-stop-serving-fish-and-chips-in-newspaper/412770/12 "2007-07-22T20:43:42Z")
Hmm, they still do put fish & chips in newspapers around here, but yes, they do put the food itself on plain white paper, but they always did. ---
**Author:** ![Rysto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ecccb3/32.png) [@Rysto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rysto)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2007, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-they-stop-serving-fish-and-chips-in-newspaper/412770/13 "2007-07-22T21:07:28Z")
If you really think that it taste better that way, can’t you wrap it in newspaper yourself? ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2007, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-they-stop-serving-fish-and-chips-in-newspaper/412770/14 "2007-07-22T21:25:18Z")
[QUOTE=casdave] Hmm, they still do put fish & chips in newspapers around here, but yes, they do put the food itself on plain white paper, but they always did. [/QUOTE] How long is “always?” ---
**Author:** ![Chez\_Guevara](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/aeb1de/32.png) [@Chez\_Guevara](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chez_Guevara)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2007, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-they-stop-serving-fish-and-chips-in-newspaper/412770/15 "2007-07-22T21:51:03Z")
‘Always’ is before 1958 in my case. Cite: Defunct Fish & Chip shop formerly situated at No. 1, Cunliffe Road, South Shore, Blackpool, Lancashire. ---
**Author:** ![Chez\_Guevara](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/aeb1de/32.png) [@Chez\_Guevara](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chez_Guevara)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2007, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-they-stop-serving-fish-and-chips-in-newspaper/412770/16 "2007-07-22T21:54:43Z")
My partner now confirms similar white paper experiences were available at a Fish & Chip shop in Bissell Street, Quinton, Birmingham during the same era. ---
**Author:** ![Key\_Lime\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/48db29/32.png) [@Key\_Lime\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Key_Lime_Guy)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2007, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-they-stop-serving-fish-and-chips-in-newspaper/412770/17 "2007-07-22T22:21:31Z")
Does the battered & fried fish (in England) normally have the skin on? Or was my first (& last) experience an exceptional case? ---
**Author:** ![GorillaMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/50afbb/32.png) [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2007, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-they-stop-serving-fish-and-chips-in-newspaper/412770/18 "2007-07-22T22:27:14Z")
[QUOTE=Key Lime Guy] Does the battered & fried fish (in England) normally have the skin on? Or was my first (& last) experience an exceptional case? [/QUOTE] Depends. Some places will have it on, others will be skinless. I admit I’m no great fan of the texture of the skin, but as long as it’s still attached to the batter I’ll eat it. Even if you hate it, just eat the flesh of the fish, pick out the skin (probably in one or a few pieces), and eat the batter. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2007, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-they-stop-serving-fish-and-chips-in-newspaper/412770/19 "2007-07-22T22:47:14Z")
[QUOTE=Chez Guevara] ‘Always’ is before 1958 in my case. Cite: Defunct Fish & Chip shop formerly situated at No. 1, Cunliffe Road, South Shore, Blackpool, Lancashire. [/QUOTE] I last had Fish and Chips in England in 1989 and it was wrapped in newspaper. I’m a bit sad to hear it’s no longer done that way. ---
**Author:** ![Celyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9dc877/32.png) [@Celyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Celyn)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2007, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-they-stop-serving-fish-and-chips-in-newspaper/412770/20 "2007-07-22T22:59:54Z")
[QUOTE=Mahaloth] I last had Fish and Chips in England in 1989 and it was wrapped in newspaper. I’m a bit sad to hear it’s no longer done that way. [/QUOTE] Heavens, I’m SURE it would have been illegal by then. I seem to recall some law on health grounds happening in the early 1980s. Obviously, however, you have lived to tell the tale. Wow, you found a renegade chip shop. 🙂 I want chips now. And fish, and probably HP sauce. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-they-stop-serving-fish-and-chips-in-newspaper/412770.md?page=2)