A McDonald’s joint venture in China supplying its outlets with French fries has been slapped with a record 3.9 million yuan (HK$4.9 million) fine for water pollution, state media reported. The fine levied against Beijing Simplot Food Processing was the largest ever meted out by the city of Beijing for pollution, the state-run Xinhua news agency said, citing the municipal environmental[Read More…]
Processing, fries, chips
Tong Peal launches a new crop cleaning solution
Tong Peal Engineering, the UK designer and manufacturer of equipment, has launched its latest innovation in crop cleaning with the new EasyClean Hydro-Sep. Designed for the vegetable processing market the new EasyClean Hydro-Sep offers growers, processors and packers the ultimate crop cleaning solution with effective cleaning results. It also helps to significantly reduce wear and tear on packhouse equipment by removing[Read More…]
McCain Foods USA closing Wisconsin plant
McCain Foods USA Inc. has informed state of Wisconsin officials that it intends to close its food products plant in Fort Atkinson this year, resulting in the loss of 119 jobs. Layoffs are expected to begin June 26 and continue until the closure is completed by Dec. 18. The Canadian company, which has U.S. headquarters in Lisle, Ill., is closing[Read More…]
US: New Chipperbec™ non-GMO California chipping potatoes now available
Allied Potato Inc., a premier grower and distributor of chipping potatoes in conjunction with Frost Potato Co-Op are proud to announce their new Chipperbec™ branded chipping potatoes for foodservice operators and processors across the country. “The 2015 fresh potato harvest has just started in California and the quality of our new Chipperbec™ branded potatoes is looking excellent.” said Matt Hornbuckle,[Read More…]
TNA appointed new processing group solutions manager for the Americas
TNA, the packaging and processing solutions provider, announces the appointment of Tim Reardon as its new group solutions manager – processing for the Americas. Based at FOODesign’s North American headquarters in Portland, Oregon, Tim will head up the groups’ processing solutions across the region which includes patented processing technology from FOODesign and Florigo, both tna companies. Specialising in FOODesign’s portfolio[Read More…]
UK: Dietitians criticise Health Star Rating system which ranks potato chips above fruit
A government-endorsed Health Star Rating System to aid shoppers’ food choices has been criticised as misleading and simplistic. Dietitians complain that some processed foods high in salt, fat, sugar, and in additives and preservatives, are receiving a higher star rating than healthier natural foods. The Herald Sun found several anomalies, including that Woolworths’ Select Straight Cut Potato chips got the[Read More…]
US: Utz starts new division focusing on ‘better-for-you’ snacks
Utz Quality Foods in Hanover has launched a new division to focus on growing its “better-for-you,” regional and craft snacks business. The new division will be headed by Rick Suchenski and focus on Utz’ specialty products including California Chips, “Dirty” Potato Chips and Zapp’s potato chips. Utz acquired those product lines when it bought Gramercy, La.-based Zappe Endeavors LLC in 2011. More
UK: Albert Bartlett buys threatened Heinz factory
Albert Bartlett has purchased a potato factory under threat of closure by Heinz. The Westwick site and its assets in North Walsham have been sold to the Scottish potato giant. This move followed the decision by the William Jackson Food Group, owner of the Aunt Bessie’s brand, not to renew the license for Heinz to manufacture its frozen potato products.[Read More…]
Zebra Chip disease discovered on island between Australia and New Zealand
During a major quarantine survey on Norfolk Island, a small island in between New Zealand and Australia, both the tomato-potato psyllid (Bactericera cockerelli) as well as the zebra chip causing bacterium Ca. Liberibacter solanacearum (Lso) have been detected. The discovery of sap-sucking insects previously not present on Norfolk Island has given scientists a head-start on controlling a major biosecurity threat[Read More…]
Report: Setting up a potato chips manufacturing plant
This research report provides all the requisite aspects for stakeholders who plan to invest in the potato chips manufacturing industry. The study, which has been done by one of the world’s leading research and advisory firms, covers all the requisite aspects of the potato chips industry. This ranges from macro overview of the market to micro details of the industry.[Read More…]
Canada: Manitoba spud deal not set for 2015
Potato producers in Manitoba might see a strengthening production picture because of a weaker Canadian dollar, and because of counter-moves to the export interruptions in Seattle this winter. Manitoba has three potato processing plants — Simplot Foods in Portage la Prairie and two McCain Foods plants in Carberry and Portage. Simplot has a potato processing plant in Grand Forks, N.D.[Read More…]
Idaho processed spud growers take price reduction
Southern Idaho Potato Cooperative growers have agreed to a contract that slightly reduces spud prices but requires processors to accept at least 90 percent of their 2014 acreages with individual farms. SIPCO Executive Director Dan Hargraves said contract prices will be down 1 percent for Lamb Weston growers. He said McCain and Simplot growers will take a 1.5 percent decrease[Read More…]
Canada: Manitoba spud deal not set for 2015
Potato producers in Manitoba might see a strengthening production picture because of a weaker Canadian dollar, and because of counter-moves to the export interruptions in Seattle this winter. Dan Sawatzky, Keystone Potato Producers manager in Portage, says it isn’t clear whether Seattle export problems will increase Manitoba potato production. More
US: Snack Food Association plans to broaden its mission
In response to changing consumer trends and a constantly evolving market, the Snack Food Association (S.F.A.) plans to go beyond the snack aisle and reach out beyond its core membership base to attract new members who serve the broader snacking occasion. The change is part of an overall effort to “rebrand” the association. Specifically, the S.F.A. wants to attract not only[Read More…]
Belgium: Potato processing volume rises to record level
The Belgian potato processing industry continued its road to success last year. In total a record amount of 3.8 million potatoes were processed. That’s 6.9% more than in the slightly weaker previous year. 18 companies processed their potatoes into potato products such as crisps, chips and peeled potatoes. At 1.4 million tonnes, chips (fries) are the most important sector of the[Read More…]
US: Mid-Columbia companies deal with losses from port slowdown
A backlog of apples, potatoes and other goods is clearing out of the ports of Seattle and Tacoma. Still, Mid-Columbia growers and exporters continue to feel the pains of lost sales and customers created by a lengthy export slowdown. It appears Washington frozen potato processors will be back to normal shipping patterns and able to ship last year’s crop before[Read More…]
US: Potato processors may lean on Canada to fill export orders
A weak loonie and shipping disruptions at the Port of Seattle could in-crease demand for Canadian potatoes in 2015, says a spokesperson for the United Potato Growers of Canada. Potato acres have fallen by 25,000, or 6.7 percent, during the last three years as processing companies such as McCain’s and Simplot shifted production to lower cost regions such as the[Read More…]
23 Percent of UK parents think potato crisps are vegetables
Some people still struggle trying to differentiate a fruit from a vegetable. Case in point: a number still believe that tomato is a veggie. In the UK, at least 23% of the parents believe that potato crisps are still vegetables and that they may still be great for the body to take. But then again, study suggests such assumption is[Read More…]
Korea: How Honey Butter Chips sold themselves
Twenty packages of the wildly popular snack Honey Butter Chips, out of stock at most supermarkets and convenience stores, were put up for sale on Dynamic Price, an auction site operated by e-commerce site Interpark on March 20. Three people managed to buy the snack for the normal price of 1,500 won ($1.4) per package. The remaining buyers offered higher[Read More…]
Biochemistry analyser adds data benefits for potato storage managers and processors
The 2900 from YSI has been launched with additional data flexibility for in-house quality assurance in fields such as the monitoring of sucrose and glucose levels by potato growers. Sucrose and glucose levels are closely monitored by potato growers while in storage and by manufacturers during processing. As potatoes age, the carbohydrates convert to sugars and regular sample testing allows[Read More…]
Kids are becoming McDonald’s biggest problem
McDonald’s is losing a crucial set of customers: Kids. For decades, McDonald’s wooed young children to the Golden Arches with promises of Happy Meals, colorful plastic play places and costumed burger mascots. It was a tactic that helped the Big Mac chain snag lifetime customers at a young age. But kids aren’t eating as much fast food as they did[Read More…]
Potato Growers of Washington: Dale Lathim works to find a balance
“There has to be a balance,” Dale Lathim, Executive Director of the Potato Growers of Washington says. His job, he explains, is to negotiate contracts between potato growers and processors that meet the needs of both sides: “The best possible contract for growers and processors.” While he meets with committees of growers, Lathim negotiates for the approximately 80 percent of[Read More…]
So Roundup ‘probably’ causes cancer. This means what, exactly?
You’ve already heard by now that the World Health Organization just classified glyphosate – the active ingredient in the herbicide Roundup – as a probable carcinogen. Another probable carcinogen, acrylamide, is formed by cooking at high temperatures: It shows up, for instance, in coffee beans, potato chips, and french fries. The FDA just approved a GMO potato that produces less than half[Read More…]
Bolivia, Cuba may spice up McDonald’s slumping sales
McDonald’s launched a 24-hour global “day of joy” in 24 cities around the world on Tuesday in an attempt to revive slumping fast-food sales. In January, the company reported a 14% fall in annual profits, to $4.7 billion, and its worst sales in a decade – a cumulative 1% drop from its 34,000 restaurants in 114 countries. The company replaced[Read More…]
Guinness beer flavored potato chips now available in US
When you think of eats for St. Patrick’s Day, it couldn’t get more Irish than a cold, creamy pint of Guinness stout and potatoes. Now Irish food lovers, no longer have to choose between the two thanks to Burts Potato Chips, a British Snack Food company. Originally released in 2012 as a limited edition pub snack, the beer flavored chips[Read More…]
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