potatoes
‘Potatokens’ on packs of branded All Rounder and Jacket Potatoes will be redeemed for potato preparation equipment
Potato supplier Greenvale is launching a loyalty campaign that allows shoppers to exchange ‘potatokens’ for potato preparation or kitchen equipment.
The ‘Potato Pal’ loyalty scheme, set to run at Tesco, Booths and Ocado, aims to boost sales of GreenVale All Rounder and Jacket Potatoes.
The on-pack tokens are in the form of unique codes and, once collected, must be registered on the company website, where accumulated points are redeemed for products including mashers, chippers, ricers and peelers.
Greenvale said it expects to reach more than 12 million shoppers, and will maintain belief and enthusiasm for the promotion by encouraging participants to post on social media, weekly prize draws, emails, recipes and ‘potato tips’.
Tracey Mattock, Greenvale’s marketing manager said direct communication with shoppers is a new venture for the business.
“We are extremely excited about the potential the Potato Pal scheme holds not only in terms of increasing awareness, trial and purchase of our branded potatoes, but also as an fun and attractive format to extend our social media presence.”
The scheme officially launches to consumers in the March edition of Tesco Magazine – where 10 starter points will encourage initial sign up – and will be promoted from 20 February.
Industrial strikes by dock-workers in the US have made it difficult for Japan to secure a steady supply of chips
Fast food chain KFC is the latest business in Japan to be blighted by the Asian nation’s potato shortage.
Industrial strikes by dock-workers on the west coast of the United States have made it difficult for Japan to secure a steady supply of chips due to disrupted or cancelled shipments.
McDonald’s has also had to start rationing its servings over the last six weeks.
KFC Japan said in a statement: “The company will halt the sales of potatoes temporarily until a stable supply becomes available.”
The chain is currently advertising meals with coleslaw instead of chips on its website.
Sales of the potatoes reach an all-time high during the two-week run up to the festive period, according to key supplier Branston
Potato supplier, Branston, has revealed the King Edward as the nationʼs favourite roaster to accompany the traditional Christmas lunch.
Sales of the potatoes reach an all-time high during the two-week run up to the festive period, with celebrity chefs such as Jamie Oliver, Delia Smith and Tom Kerridge championing the variety.
Branston sales and marketing director, James Truscott, said: “The King Edward is undoubtedly the king of the crop when it comes to the Christmas roast dinner, with sales increasing by around 250% in the run up to the big day.
“Whilst sales across other lines such as mainstream white potatoes and Maris Piper also increase substantially, the UKʼs love affair with this, the most traditional of all the potato offerings, really stands out.”
The variety has been grown in the UK since 1902, making it one of the oldest varieties still grown commercially. Presented as a white skinned potato with pink colouration, it is oval shaped and has a floury texture.
Truscott added: “King Edward roast potatoes are as much a part of the traditional Christmas lunch as turkey, sprouts and chipolatas.
“With a delicious crispy outside and a smooth fluffy middle, they are the perfect accompaniment to the seasonal roast.”
King Edward potatoes are available all throughout the UK and are in peak season from October through to April.
An average 2.5kg pack costs around £2.
Researchers in Canada believe that their findings are due to potatoes’ high concentration of polyphenols
New research has found that potatoes may help prevent weight gain.
According to a new paper published by researchers at McGill University, in Canada, high potato consumption in mice was shown to decrease body weight gain.
The team believe that the research and findings are due to potatoes’ high concentration of polyphenols – a disease-fighting chemical component found in fruits and vegetables.
Professor Luis Agellon, one of the authors of the study, said: “We were astonished by the results. We thought, ‘this can’t be right’ – in fact, we ran the experiment again using a different batch of extract prepared from potatoes grown in another season, just to be certain.”
Over a period of ten weeks, the mice – who started out weighing 25 grams on average – were each fed an ‘obesity-inducing diet’, with some consuming a polyphenol-rich extract made from approximately 30 potatoes.
By the end of the experiment, the animals who hadn’t been fed the potato extract had gained an average of 16 grams.
Those who had consumed the daily dose of polyphenol-rich potato extract, however, put on only 7 grams.
The study was funded by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada, the Canadian Institutes of Health Research and the Canada Foundation for Innovation.
A key supplier to fast-food chain has won approval to grow GM potato, but McDonald’s has quoted it ‘will not change sourcing practices’
Fast food giant McDonald’s (USA) has said it will not buy a recently-approved GM potato from one of its key suppliers.
The US department of agriculture (USDA) approved Idaho-based food producer J.R.Simplot’s genetically modified potato, named the Innate potato, last week. It now has permission to cultivate the crop, which is said to produce less acrylamide and is engineered to bruise less easily.
“McDonald’s USA does not source GMO potatoes, nor do we have current plans to change our sourcing practices,” the company said in a statement.
Simplot is a major supplier of french fries, hash browns and other potato products for restaurant chains like McDonald’s, local paper The Idaho Statesman reported.
A spokesman for Simplot, Doug Cole, told the paper that Innate would be accepted by the fresh potato market, although he did not comment on the company’s plans to supply the fast food or dehydrated potato markets.
European potato stocks reportedly at their lowest level in decades, while Belgium reports record production
Potato supplies into Europe, Russia and Ukraine are reportedly running at their lowest level for decades, with domestic production delayed by cold, wet weather and suppliers in traditional spring sources Egypt and Israel reporting lower-than-usual stocks for the time of year.
According to Christoph Hambloch of analyst AMI, problems with the quality and availability of early potatoes in Spain, Italy, Belgium and Germany have complicated matters and depressed overall profitability in the sector, notably as a result of moisture-related disease.
Meanwhile, market prices are said to be rocketing, topping €70 per tonne compared with €50 per tonne at the same time last year.
“The current price trend has been turned on its head,” Hambloch wrote. “Normally prices start to go down at this time of year, but now they are climbing higher and higher.”
In Belgium, local reports suggest potato production area in the region of Wallonia has increased 8.6% this year to 35,535ha, contributing to an overall rise in production to 81,165ha – a new record for the country.