News on Food Trends

New research from an Iowa State University economist, Wallace Huffman, found consumers were willing to spend more for genetically modified potato products with reduced levels of a chemical compound linked to cancer.

Pizzoli S.p.A., Italy's largest operator in the potato sector and Bio-on S.p.A., the leader in eco-sustainable chemical technologies, will collaborate to build Italy's first PHAs bioplastic production plant using waste product from the potato agro-industrial process.

Representatives of the Canadian Government announced an investment of $1.83 million in a Canadian-led international research effort to give potato farmers a technological edge in predicting and preventing yield losses in their fields and in storage.

The first line of J.R. Simplot Co.'s genetically modified potatoes has been cleared by the Food and Drug Administration as safe for human consumption. The voluntary FDA safety review found that the potatoes are as safe and nutritious as conventional potatoes.

AUSVEG has welcomed the signing of a work and holiday Memorandum of Understanding between the Australian and Vietnamese governments, which could assist Australian vegetable and potato growers fill labour shortages during peak harvesting times.

North Dakota, potato grower Carl Hoverson was elected Chairman of the United States Potato Board (USPB) at the organization's 2015 Annual Meeting in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

TOMRA Sorting Food will reveal the latest addition to its steam peeling portfolio at Anuga FoodTec, later this month. The Odyssey steam peeler is the ideal cost-effective steam peeling solution for seasonal processing companies and emerging markets.

Raising China potato production is of utmost importance. In the coming years a great effort is to be made to meet the increasing demand of potatoes for fresh consumption and for industry.

Son la novedad del momento y tienen muchísimas aplicaciones, una empresa cree que en 2020 cada productor tendrá un drone que vigilará su cosecha.

The Cameroonian Ministry of Industry has just issued a call for tenders to hire a research firm to conduct a technical, institutional and financial study on behalf of the government to create a potato-processing project for Kumbo in the North-West region.

The University of Maine and the Maine Potato Board have released a new potato variety, Caribou Russet.

Bunge North America, the North American operating arm of Bunge Limited, announced that it has purchased the assets of Heartland Harvest, Inc., a North American leader in the production of die cut pellets used to make extruded foods.

Científicos del Instituto Vasco de Investigación y Desarrollo Agrario, NEIKER-Tecnalia han realizado el estudio de la estructura genética de Phytophthora infestans -causante del tizón tardío de la papa- y han identificado por primera vez en España la existencia del genotipo Blue13 (13_A2). El hallazgo es fruto de los resultados obtenidos en la tesis doctoral del ingeniero agrónomo Néstor Alor, presentada en la Universidad de Lleida y dirigida por el Dr. José Ignacio Ruiz de Galarreta.

In the potato processing industry, each year seems to have a trend - meaning there is a lot of attention on a particular machine or process. This year seems to be “the year of the steam peeler”.

The International Potato Center (CIP) mourns the passing of Dr. Richard L. Sawyer, founder of CIP and its first Director General. Dr. Sawyer passed away on March 9 in Raleigh, North Carolina, in his native USA.

Ingredion Incorporated (NYSE: INGR), a leading global provider of ingredient solutions to diversified industries, announced today that it has successfully completed the acquisition of Penford Corporation, a U.S.-based leader in specialty ingredients for food and non-food applications.

ConAgra Foods, Inc., (NYSE: CAG) announced the winners of its 2015 Sustainable Development Awards yesterday, an internal awards program that drives and rewards imaginative approaches to sustainability and produces bottom line business results.

Potato farming brothers Aaron Johnson of Northwood and Derek Johnson of Vancouver, B.C., will spend time in federal prison in the Federal Prison Camp in Duluth, Minn., and are jointly responsible for restitution of nearly $1 million because of crop insurance fraud.