Potato News from South Africa

The South African government has rejected the Agriculture Research Council’s (ARC’s) application to provide genetically modified potatoes to local farmers, saying it was concerned about its safety and economic effect. “This is probably the mo...

In South Africa,  Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi has told Parliament that his department intends to introduce rules banning industrially produced trans fats in all processed and prepared foods.Giving a written reply on Thursday to a question from the...

McCain Foods has expanded one of its key plants in South Africa with the addition of three new packing lines, each based around an Ishida R-Series multihead weigher.The world’s largest producer of French fries, McCain Foods is also the leading supplier...

The full benefit of lower potato prices in 2008 was not passed on to the consumer, Potatoes SA (PSA) said on Tuesday. During 2008, the producer price of potatoes dropped by 45 percent, Mark du Plessis, CEO of PSA said. However, the average retail pr...

The South African Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) directorate recently considered a complaint by a Kevin Harris that the claims featured in the TV advert for Simba Sunbites chips - "no added MSG;no tartrazine;no trans fat"- portray the...

A pest-resistant strain of genetically modified potato, earmarked for possible commercial release in South Africa, will be of no use to local spud farmers, said the African Centre for Biosafety (ACB) this week. It will also increase risk to the farmer ...

Amid rising costs in food, fuel, electricity and interest rates, consumers can take refuge in knowing that at least one South African staple food is bucking the trend and fighting off inflation. Since September last year the potato price has steadil...

Fast food group McDonald's, one of the largest landowners in the world, is set on expanding aggressively in SA. Executive director Greg Solomon said the local operation aimed to expand outlets by 15%-25% a year for the next few years. By the end of the...