USDA's Western Regional Research Center offers Potato Research ideas to Washington Potato Commission

Members of the Washington State Potato Commission's research committee recently returned from a trip to the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Western Regional Research Center.

Commission Research Director Andy Jensen said the reason for the trip to the Albany, Calif.-based center was to meet with food researchers studying processing and nutrition.

New research ideas included infrared heating for dry-blanching potatoes of potato products in order to cut down on water use.

Other research projects included a french fry bar similar to nutritional or breakfast bars available in grocery stores, with ketchup inside and potato pieces on the outside, and a biodegradable plastic composed of 65 percent potato or wheat flour that could be used for commodity bins or in greenhouses.

"They've got a lot of different ideas down there,"committee member Ellie Charvet said. "And I don't think they're that far-fetched, either."