News on Food Trends from Belgium

The Belgian Development Cooperation has been working with the International Potato Centre (CIP) in developing countries since the 1970s. The aim is to support the research and training required to improve the production of potatoes and sweet potatoes, as well as other root vegetables and tubers.

What matters more for food businesses, quality and safety or quantity? But does food quality and safety and food quantity have to be opposing factors, so that as output increases quality suffers?

Europatat Congress 2018 was attended by over 90 participants from 21 countries and received very positive feedback, in particular regarding the high quality of the speakers and their refreshing and inspiring messages.

The European Commission decided on Friday April, 27 2018 to impose a complete ban on neonicotinoids, referring to the risk they pose to wild bees and honeybees.

Organisations representing potato farmers in Belgium and France, have started a project (interreg-GEPOS) to look for alternative destinations for potatoes in Belgium and the North of France in seasons marked by large surpluses.

Cutting specialist FAM will showcase its latest slicing technology for potato chips on the innovation stage at Snaxpo (Wednesday March 14th at 11am), during the Snaxpo in Atlanta in booth 327 and at the Anuga FoodTec in Germany in Hall 10.1, booth E060.

Food Sorting Specialist TOMRA today signed an agreement to acquire 100 percent of the shares in BBC Technologies - including BBC Technologies USA.

Europatat, the European Potato Trade Association, has confirmed the dates for its annual Europatat Congress. Under the slogan “Potatoes: a healthy, sustainable and responsible sector”, the 2018 Congress will focus on sustainability.

With a rapidly expanding global population and limited food supply, it’s vital for food businesses to work more sustainably and stay profitable. Bjorn Thumas, director business development food, TOMRA Sorting Food offers his vision

Food waste is a global, billion-dollar problem. The White Paper “It’s time to end food waste” explores the origins, the reasons and some exciting solutions for the global food waste problem.

With worldwide demand for potato products continuing to grow, TOMRA Sorting Food is supporting potato processors by launching an enhanced sorting solution which removes more than 98 percent of all typical foreign objects found in product streams after washing and peeling.

VDH Concept, a Belgian company specialized in retail packaging for potatoes, vegetables and fruit, has recently introduced SQ Pack, packaging with a net structure perforation.

TOMRA Sorting Food has announced a positive six months trading since the start of 2017 thanks to the successful launch of three sorting platforms, new senior management appointments and the implementation of an enhanced customer support service.

TOMRA Sorting Food has unveiled a powerful new graphical user interface (UI) to help food processors get the most from their sorting systems by optimizing work flows and reducing waste to deliver improved profitability.

The Antwerp Court of Appeal has sentenced a farmer in the Belgian province of Antwerp to pay a large fine and damage compensation to Breeders Trust for not reporting his acreage farm saved seed for the varieties Asterix and Fontane which are protected under Plant Breeders’ Rights.

Now that the potato planting season is upon us, we have a newcomer in the field. Potato machine manufacturer AVR is launching the trailed Ceres 450 combined potato planter.

The organizers of the Europatat 2017 Congress in Antwerp from 15 to 17 June announce the addition of a number of high level speakers to the programme

Pom'Alliance and Pomuni are joining forces in the fresh potato sector. Both companies signed mutual cooperation agreements on March 30, 2017.