US: Research site boosts spuds nationwide

Unless you’re part of the U.S. potato industry, you’ve probably never heard of the U.S. Department of Agriculture research facility in East Grand Forks, Minn. But to people who work in the industry, the USDA Agricultural Research Service’s Potato Research Worksite is a unique, invaluable resource that helps develop better chips, fries and dehydrated flakes through improved storage and processing. Just one example of what the worksite does: “When you open a bag of potato chips and see a brown or discolored chip — we’re working to keep that from happening,” says Darrin Haagenson, the site’s coordinator and food technologist. More