Switzerland allows supporters to eat their fries

Switzerland has agreed to ease restrictions on the importation of potatoes following fears that supporters could face a shortage of fries.

A spokesman for the department of agriculture said on national radio that the government has allowed an additional 5,000 tonnes of potatoes to be brought in.

Following a warning that supplies were running out, the potato industries association has estimated that 3,000 additional tonnes are needed to make fries for foreign supporters. The remaining 2,000 tonnes would be used for other potato dishes.

Switzerland has also been fretting over dwindling supplies of its traditional cervelat sausage following a European Union ban on the cows’ intestines used to encase the meat.

But economics minister Doris Leuthard, also responsible for agriculture, told Parliament that there were enough cervelats in reserve to last at least through the football tournament.