Belgium probes why chips are getting more expensive

0 Comments | AFP, April, 2008

BRUSSELS (AFP) — The Belgian government announced Wednesday it was opening an inquiry into the correct price of a bag of "frites," or chips -- the national dish.

Despite rising food prices worldwide, which have caused rioting and death in Africa and central America, the authorities in Brussels deemed a recent price hike for the domestic favourite to be suspiciously high.

Economy Minister Vincent Van Quickenborne has ordered "a preliminary inquiry to explain the difference between the price of potatoes and the cost of a bag of fries," according to an official statement.

"We've noticed a growing discrepancy between the two prices," a ministry spokesman said. "Chips are getting more expensive, more quickly, than potatoes, and "that appears a bit odd."

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