News on Food Trends from the United States

The Northwest Potato Research Consortium recently approved a combined $1.5 million in grant funding to 37 research projects.

A partnership between Idaho State University and Boise State University has been awarded an Idaho Global Entrepreneurial Mission (IGEM) grant to research the application of the Humigator in potato storage.

In the United States the potato chip category maintains a dominant lead over other salty snacks in terms of overall sales, but household spend on meat snacks is a not-too-distant rival and is gaining ground.

McCain Foods USA, Inc. announced yesterday it is expanding the voluntary recall of retail, frozen hash brown products that may contain golf ball materials with Wegman’s Brand 28-ounce bag of frozen O’Brien Hash Browns (UPC 07789036523).

Steve Gangwish of Watertown, South Dakota and Dan Moss of Declo, Idaho were appointed to the Potatoes USA Executive Committee on March 16, 2017

Today Conagra Brands, Inc. (NYSE: CAG) announced that it has completed the acquisition of protein-based snacking businesses Thanasi Foods LLC, maker of Duke's® meat snacks, and BIGS LLC, maker of BIGS® seeds (collectively, Thanasi).

The Texas A&M AgriLife Research plant pathology team intentionally infected potato plants with psyllids positive with the bacterium that causes zebra chip disease, in order to identify promising germplasm in the battle against the disease plaguing the US potato industry for the past 15 years.

Frito-Lay today announced it is voluntarily recalling select Jalapeño Flavored Lay’s Kettle Cooked potato chips and Jalapeño Flavored Miss Vickie’s Kettle Cooked potato chips due to the potential presence of Salmonella in the seasoning.

McCain Foods USA, Inc. announced today it is voluntarily recalling retail, frozen hash brown products that may be contaminated with extraneous golf ball materials

The Big Idaho® Potato Truck has been making heads turn for six years. The splash it made in NYC in August 2016 was so big it earned the 6-ton spud the prestigious Bulldog Reporter's Silver Award for Best Special Event.

Bags of Wise potato chips contain vastly more empty space than they do actual product, according to a recently filed class action lawsuit in the United States.

Jay LaJoie of Van Buren, Maine and Jason Davenport of Arvin, California were appointed to the Potatoes USA Executive Committee on March 16, 2017 and will co-chair the Industry Outreach Committee.

The Potatoes USA international marketing committee met prior to the Annual Meeting in Denver March 15 & 16. The committee heard how U.S. potato exports have grown 183% in the past 20 years and now account for close to 20% of production.

QSRs, which represent 80 percent of total commercial foodservice visits, realized no traffic growth in 2016 and total foodservice traffic dipped slightly.

The Potatoes USA Board Members for 2017 were sworn in during its Annual Meeting in Denver Colorado.

The Big Idaho® Potato Truck is back on America's highways promoting Idaho's most famous agricultural product, the Idaho® potato.

TOMRA Sorting Food will showcase the TOMRA 5A, its newest state-of-the-art potato sorter, at the new biennial processing event ProFoodTech 2017. Potato Processors can find TOMRA at Booth #1721

Yesterday, Conagra Brands, Inc. (NYSE: CAG) announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire protein-based snacking businesses Thanasi Foods LLC (Thanasi), maker of Duke's® meat snacks and BIGS LLC (BIGS), maker of BIGS® seeds.