News On French Fries and Potato Specialties from Northern America

December 19, 2007

McCain Foods plans new French fry factory in the United States

McCain Foods Limited announced today its intent to invest C$150 million for the construction of a new french fry plant in the Pacific Northwest. The facility will be designed to produce French fries and potato specialties primarily for food service an...

December 14, 2007

Simplot adds fourth shift in Portage La Prairie french fry factory

Expansion is coming to the Simplot Canada Ltd. potato processing facility in Portage la Prairie.The plant is expanding production by adding a fourth shift, and plans to hire 40 more people by mid-spring. “Worldwide demand for our food products has cre...

December 04, 2007

Ontario To Make Schools Trans-Fat Free

Ontario is taking action to make schools healthier places to learn by moving to drop trans fat from lunchroom menus."Our kids' health is just too important to risk,"said Premier Dalton McGuinty. "Trans fats have no place in our schools a...

November 28, 2007

La acrilamida no aumenta el riesgo de cancer de mama

Un estudio importante halla que el compuesto que se encuentra en alimentos fritos y horneados no representa una amenaza. Al parecer existe poca o ninguna relación entre el cáncer de mama y la acrilamida, una sustancia que se encuentra en alimentos fr...

November 25, 2007

Washington potato growers celebrate a heck of a harvest

Washington potato farmers harvested more than 5.1 million tons of potatoes in 2007, the state's second-largest spud harvest in history. Chris Voigt, executive director of the Washington State Potato Commission, said the state's potato farmers dug up ...

November 24, 2007

Cavendish Farms takes lead in the fight against nitrates

An ambitious research effort by Cavendish Farms is identifying ways for farmers to reduce nitrate levels finding their way into Island waterwaysAnd while it may sound simplistic, reducing potatoes from the size of baseball star Barry Bonds’ biceps coul...

Lamb Weston restarts Prosser french fry processing plant

November 22, 2007

Lamb Weston resumes operation of Prosser french fry processing plant

After a three-week shutdown, Lamb Weston has fired up the potato processing plant it purchased from Twin City Foods. "It's always rewarding when you start a plant back up,"said John Blair, plant operations manager. Lamb Weston purchased the...

November 21, 2007

Irving brothers look to break up empire

The legendary Irving family is moving to break up its $6-billion business empire as it struggles to accommodate the demands of new generations, thus ending a 125-year-old Canadian dynasty. Sources familiar with the sprawling family conglomerate say t...

November 20, 2007

Cavendish Farms no longer after trademark freedom fries

Irving-owned Cavendish Farms has abandoned its efforts to trademark the name Freedom Fries, according to documents obtained by CBC News. Irving's trademark efforts date back to 2003, when the war in Iraq began. Six others applied to trademark Freedom ...

November 20, 2007

Are chips the answer to world hunger?

Solanum tuberosum – the potato - will have its year in 2008. The UN is trying to wean developing countries off rice and persuade them to adopt the potato as a staple food. Potatoes beat rice on most measures. They need less water and less space to prod...

November 19, 2007

Idaho Potato farmer benefits from french fry demand in China and Japan

Albert Wada is one of America’s potato kings. Farming 12,000 acres of land in Idaho, the state that produces a third of America’s spuds, Mr Wada is one of the biggest potato farmers in the United States. He bought the business in 1972 from his father,...

November 15, 2007

Othello starts new water contract with J.R. Simplot

Othello and food processor J.R. Simplot agreed upon a new water contract to gradually increase Simplot's rates by 32 percent over the next five years.Simplot is the town's largest water user. Simplot paid the city $345,360 for water this year for about...

November 15, 2007

Lamb Weston expands Pasco Facility with production lines for potato- and onion-based appetizers

ConAgra Foods Lamb Weston officially marked the completion of an 85,000-square-foot expansion of its potato processing plant in Pasco, Wash., with a ribbon-cutting ceremony attended by company officials as well as local and state dignitaries. Lamb We...

November 12, 2007

Idaho Potato Commission wants potatoes on food aid list

Potatoes aren't on the list developing nations can order as part of the U.S. food aid program, and Frank Muir, president and chief executive officer of the Idaho Potato Commission, wants to change that.It's something of a Catch-22 situation. Potatoes c...

November 10, 2007

Are french fries in the US QSR chains now trans fat free?

The check. For each of the chains, we bought and analyzed fries from five to nine restaurants in five states.CR's take. In our sampling, Wendy's still missed its mark. So did Burger King. McDonald's fries claim a high 8 g for most locations and 0 g fo...

November 09, 2007

NASS: US Potato harvest fall 2007

Production of fall potatoes for 2007 is forecast at 408 million cwt, up 2 percent from last year. Area harvested, at 997,800 acres, is virtually unchanged from the July estimate but 2 percent above last year.The average yield is forecast at 409 cwt pe...

November 08, 2007

Ventas comparables McDonald's crecen 6,9 pct en octubre

La cadena estadounidense de comida rápida McDonald's Corp reportó el jueves un aumento del 6,9 por ciento en sus ventas comparables de octubre, apoyada en una popular promoción en Estados Unidos y en la fortaleza de su negocio en Asia. La mayor red de...

November 07, 2007

Canadian french fry manufacturers grapple with strong dollar

The continuing strength of the Canadian dollar is posing some problems for Portage La Prairie french fry manufacturers. For Simplot Canada Ltd.’s Portage plant, unit director Chris Tompkins said the high dollar is having an impact on his operation. “W...