News on Food Trends from Europe

According to the data of Belgapom, the Potato Processing Industry in Belgium last year not only set a record for the amount of potatoes processed, but also a record for investments in the sector, with over 300 million euro (325 million USD) invested.

WatchITgrow is a new geo-information platform developed for the potato sector in Belgium with the purpose to better estimate and increase the potato yield in a sustainable way.

McCain Foods announces an investment of £100m (USD 120m) in its Scarborough Potato Processing Plant (United Kingdom).

Anyone travelling to PotatoEurope in Emmeloord by car on 13 and 14 September 2017 will have much more convenient access to the event than in previous years.

The FAO Food Price Index (FFPI) averaged 175.5 points in February 2017, up 0.9 points (0.5 percent) from a slightly revised January value. At this level, the FFPI is as much as 26 points, or 17.2 percent, higher than its level in the corresponding month last year and at its highest value since February 2015.

Plant breeders must have free access to biological material in order to be able to breed new crop species. Patent law thus does not apply to conventional plant breeding. This was unanimously confirmed by the European Member States at the Competitiveness Council in Brussels.

El Reglamento de la UE sobre la agricultura orgánica no permite el uso de organismos genéticamente modificados (OGM).Pero..... puede distinguirse un cultivo de papa cisgenico de un cultivo de papa que es el resultado de la producción convencional?

Under the provocative slogan 'Making the European Potato Trade great again! (it’s gonna be huge, it’s gonna be great, it’s true!)', the Europatat Congress 2017 will focus on two major current issues for the potato sector: plant health and trade.

Belgian metalworking specialist Burgmetaal has installed 20 lifting systems at Lutosa to facilitate the handling and exchange of the (bag) forming shoulders for the VFFS packaging machines.

With seven months still to go, 50 percent of the exhibition space at PotatoEurope 2017 – the trade show dedicated to the entire potato chain – has already been sold. The theme of this year’s edition – ‘Potatoes feed & meet the world’ – is linked to the potato’s huge potential to feed the world’s growing population.

Time is rapidly running out to make sure potato stores in the United Kingdom comply with new rules on using chlorpropham (CIPC), which require the sprout suppressant to be applied using “active recirculation” at new lower rates.

Agrico exhibited at Fruit Logistica in Berlin from Wednesday 8 to Friday 10 February 2017. During this leading international trade fair, Agrico demonstrated its growing range of varieties.

The FAO Food Price Index (FFPI) in January 2017 averaged 173.8 points, up 3.7 points (2.1 percent) from the revised December value. At this level, the FFPI is at its highest value since February 2015

Agrico, together with its subsidiaries, will be demonstrating its strength in potato varieties at Fruit Logistica in Berlin.

Worldwide about a third of all food gets lost before it reaches our stomachs. For Swiss potatoes this is even more – half of the total harvest. Which measures can reduce the loss, and what effect do they have?

UK retailer Morrisons has acquired the Carnoustie potato packing plant from Farmcare in a deal which will strengthen the supply of Scottish tubers to the supermarket chain.

Lamb Weston's European joint venture, Lamb Weston / Meijer has published its sustainability report for 2015-2016. Compared to the reference year 2008, energy consumption per tonne of product has reduced by more than 21% and potato utilisation has improved by 4.5%.

The FAO Food Price Index (FFPI) averaged almost 172 points in December 2016, unchanged from November. For 2016 as a whole, the index averaged 161.6 points, down 1.5 percent from 2015, representing the fifth consecutive annual decline.