News On French Fries and Potato Specialties from Europe

Dutch Potato Packer and Processor Quik's recently completed its new building. The company offers fresh potatoes (Quik's Fresh Potatoes) and chilled potato products and specialities (Quik's Potato Products). Both building and products were on display earlier this month.

Potato Processor Lamb Weston / Meijer and Wiskerke Onions are working hard on the construction of a residual heat connection between the two adjacent companies - a unique way to save energy.

Earlier this year, there was a change in the position of the President and CEO of Farm Frites Poland SA. Ernst Christoph Lehmann-Bärenklau was replaced by Adam Klasa.

The Irish Potato Federation – with the support of the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Bord Bia, Failte Ireland and Teagasc – has won its bid to host the World Potato Congress (WPC) in 2021 in Dublin.

The record year of 2016 for the Belgian potato processing industry continued into 2017, according to Belgapom, the Belgian potato trade and processing industry association.

The potato growers supplying McDonald’s in the United Kingdom can get a free agronomy skills training to improve crop performance and quality with the launch of the MacFry Potato Academy.

Pulsemaster, a global leader in Pulsed Electric Field systems for potato processing, supplied a PEF system to a major French Fry manufacturer four months ago. Now, Pulsemaster has received another order from the same company to supply a 100kW PEF system for a new processing line.

An investment of ‎€ 200 million (USD 250 million) in a brand new French Fry plant in Wielsbeke, Belgium. That's what Hannelore Raes and Filip Wallays expect it will take to push their family company Agristo into the top five french fry manufacturers worldwide.

The largest ever Food Processing, Marketing and Co-operation (FPMC) grant of £4 million has been awarded to potato processing firm Albert Bartlett. It will allow the company to diversify into the growing convenience and chilled potato market.

Royal Cosun reports a higher turnover and a higher profit for 2017 in comparison with 2016. Potato Processing subsidiary Aviko again turned in an excellent performance in 2017.

The highest court in Iceland has upheld a ruling that a 76% duty charged on imported French Fries is not unconstitutional.

In October chef Heston Blumenthal revealed his top tips for achieving roasties that are crispy on the outside, fluffy on the inside, every time. However, according to students from Edge Hotel School at the University of Essex, Blumenthal has been cutting his spuds all wrong.

Sales at potato firm Albert Bartlett have climbed 18 per cent to £146m, but operating profit was again impacted by price pressures in the supply chain.

Aviko Foodservice has announced the launched of their Crunch Fries in the United Kingdom. These new French Fries are perfect for home deliveries.

More and more often, potato growers are opting not to take their potatoes to one of the major processors. Instead, they do their own processing!

McCain UK is opening a Roastaurant where one can sample 100,000 possible roast dinner combinations.

Potato Storage Specialist Mooij Agro announced that they have built a potato storage for a Lamb Weston potato grower in Titz, Germany.

One of the key features of the biennial British Potato event is the seminar programme and the approaching Brexit is of course a topic that must be front and center at an event in the United Kingdom.