Potato processor McCain Foods (GB) Ltd is using ethylene and specifically the anti-sprouting system Restrain as its preferred replacement for the soon to be withdrawn CIPC, according to a press release issued by Restrain company.
According to the release, McCain Foods GB, the UK business of the world’s largest producer of frozen potato products, has been using ethylene for a few years and is now recommending Restrain ethylene generators to its potato growers in the United Kingdom.
This makes McCain GB one of the first major potato processors to embrace ethylene as a replacement for CIPC.
CIPC has been the standard in the potato sector for decades, however, the sprout inhibitor did not get its approval renewed in the EU, and will not be allowed in any Member States of the European Union from this coming storage season. The final use date of CIPC is 8 October 2020, while several countries and parts of the supply chain are now saying it should not be used on the 2020 potato crop.
Residue free anti-sprouting treatment
Restrain is a residue-free, ethylene gas-based anti-sprouting system. Ethylene is a natural gas which suppresses cell growth in potatoes. By dispersing ethylene according to a precise protocol during the storage period, sprouting is reduced or prevented.
Jeff Beever, Agronomist at McCain Foods (GB), is pleased with the new anti-sprouting system.
“At McCain, we’ve been closely following the development of Restrain and using it on commercial scale for a number of years. We have carried out multiple, comparative trials on the effectiveness of this sprout suppressant and tested how it affects the fry colour of our potato varieties.
“Our trials have been successful and so, in storage season 2019/20, all our medium to long term storages have been treated with ethylene, and we are now encouraging our growers to use Restrain as
