Potato News from United Kingdom

December 03, 2009

Fresh Opportunities for Regional Potatoes in the United Kingdom

Three organisations in the UK (IGD, the NFU and Kent Business School) offer potato growers a free report with information on the attitude of the consumer regarding potatoes. This comprises information such as "Shopper preferences for potatoes thro...

November 27, 2009

Attitudes to GM Foods explored in new Food Standards Agency report

The Food Standards Agency (FSA) is today publishing findings of a qualitative research project commissioned to explore public attitudes to genetic modification (GM). This report is timely and will be considered by the independent steering group that ha...

November 23, 2009

UK potato levy increase is fully justified

At first glance, the planned 9% increase in the potato levy over the next three years seems hard to justify.For a start, it is coming in a year in which UK potato prices have been under considerable pressure. The last thing any grower needs is another ...

November 17, 2009

UK's Food and Drink Federation (FDF) stresses Food Industry's economic importance

The Food and Drink Federation (FDF) is to give more emphasis to its work to promote the economic importance of the industry as part of a restructure announced today by President Ross Warburton. Each year FDF elects a small group of officers from its m...

November 17, 2009

SCRI: 'Spray-free' potato 'perfectly possible in 10 - 15 years'

Potato growers need no reminding that they now spend well in excess of £100 per acre keeping their crops disease and pest free through a hefty spray programme of nematicides, herbicides, fungicides and insecticides.That is why they would be delighted w...

Walkers Sensation retail Ready packaging

November 05, 2009

Inspirepack retail ready Shelf and Display unit for Walkers Sensations wins UK packaging award

Breaking the stranglehold of DS Smith and Smurfit Kappa, who accounted for all of the finalists last year in this hotly contested category, Inspirepac just pipped DS Smith's Louth site to this year's top prize, thanks to an entry hailed by judges for i...

October 30, 2009

Food Standards Agency response to 'Is salt really the devil's ingredient?' in The Times

I usually like to keep my blogs short and to the point, but following a critical article about the Agency's salt policy in The Times earlier this week, I felt this needed a more detailed response. As Chief Scientist, my job is to ensure that the Agency...

October 28, 2009

Quality 2009 potato crop major headache for European potato processors

Harvesting throughout Northwest Europe is virtually finished and markets are entering a new phase of the season. Quality concern and wastage, resulting from high dry matter levels and difficult harvest conditions, are now becoming the main influence ...

October 23, 2009

Green shoots clear to PPMA show exhibitors

Organisers of last month's annual PPMA Show said that the "green shoots of economic recovery were in evidence"at the event, with many exhibitors reporting sales and high levels of enquiries. Ishida Europe said it achieved its leads target w...

October 20, 2009

United Biscuits 'Crunch Busters' show low price right on the pack, offering value to consumers

United Biscuits (UBUK), a leading manufacturer of snacks, biscuits and cakes, has launched a range of savoury snacks 35p Price Marked Packs, available now, to help retailers and their customers beat the economic downturn. The new selection of Price Mar...

October 20, 2009

UK Food and drink exports buck the trend

Exports of food and non-alcoholic drinks bucked the recessionary trend and were up 10.2% to £4.82bn in the first six months of the year, according to new research commissioned by the Food and Drink Federation (FDF)[1]. Exports of all UK goods were dow...

October 19, 2009

Tate & Lyle survey reveals that health and wellness remains front of mind for European consumers

Research released today by Tate &Lyle shows that consumers continue to see health and wellness as an important issue and will pay more for foods that display health benefits on their labels. The findings are part of Tate &Lyle’s ongoing resea...

October 16, 2009

Aviko Potato Gratins gain Craft Guild of Chefs endorsement

Aviko’s Range of Gratins succeed in gaining the Craft Guild of Chefs endorsement! The five gratin varieties, from potato producer Aviko, have just been approved for endorsement by the Craft Guild of Chefs by passing its “Fit for Purpose and Quality As...

October 13, 2009

Greenvale AP's 'Green' Potato Packaging Prevents Greening

Greenvale's new packaging for its Lady Balfour organic potatoes has increased shelf life, decreased wastage and reduced complaints about greening by over 50%.Greenvale AP is the UK's largest supplier of fresh potatoes and Lady Balfour is one of the UK'...

Potato Council put on a spectacular display in London this morning

October 08, 2009

Putting potatoes back on the plates of young consumers

The Potato Council put on a spectacular display in London this morning, cooking up a potato dish, UPSIDE DOWN!In the unique stunt, aimed at getting the younger generation to ‘Love Potatoes’ this autumn, Potato Council took to the London’s South Bank to...

October 07, 2009

Kettle Foods being put up for sale?

Rising profits and turnover at Kettle Foods have fuelled speculation that its private equity owners will put the business up for sale.City speculation has suggested that Lion Capital, which bought Norwich-based Kettle for about £170m in 2006, will put ...

September 24, 2009

Obesity may soon become the top cancer cause in women

At least 124,000 new cancers in 2008 in Europe may have been caused by excess body weight, according to estimates from a new modelling study. The proportion of cases of new cancers attributable to a body mass index of 25kg/m2 or more were highest among...

September 10, 2009

Scottish scientists complete sequencing Phytophthora genome

Scientists at the Scottish Crop research Institute (SCRI) have helped unlock the mystery behind potato blight - a disease that costs the global industry an estimated £4billion of losses every year. The same disease devastated crops in Ireland 150 year...