July 26, 2007

The United States Potato Board (USPB) has received the final report on the Chinese commercial potato industry based on research carried out over the past six months by Promar International. Titled “The Chinese Potato Industry in Transition”, the report provides extensive background information on production, processing, markets, regulations, resource availability and trade. Given the complex nature of the industry in China and the size of the country, it is impossible to draw hard and fast conclusions of the future of potato production and processing in China, however, this report provides all of the information available for the USPB and US potato industry to make the best informed decisions possible. For an electronic copy of the report please send an email to Johnt@uspotatoes.com.

KEEPING POTATOES ON THE PAGES OF FOOD MAGAZINES

The growth strategy in the 2007-2011 Long Range Plan for the USPB Public Relations Department is to “…position potatoes as a low-calorie, high nutrition powerhouse…and create a bandwagon effect that builds industry momentum for nutrition message delivery.” And in the summer of 2007, that is exactly what USPB PR staff has done.

Setting out on a “road trip”, staff made presentations in the test kitchens of consumer magazines and at The Food Network, delivering the new “convenient potato recipes”, plans for the International Year of the Potato (IYOP) and a comprehensive review of the latest scientific research and nutrition information favorable to potatoes.

In addition to The Food Network, the “USPB PR Road Show” met with Woman’s Day, Food & Wine, Everyday Food (a Martha Stewart publication), First for Women, Women’s World, Family Circle, Good Housekeeping, Redbook, Everyday with Rachael Ray, Relish (a newspaper insert), Better Homes & Gardens, Living the Country Life, Better Homes & Garden Special Interest Media, Southern Living, Oxmoor House Cookbooks, Cooking Light, Health, Coastal Living, Weight Watchers, and Something Extra

Convenient Potato Recipes--
For the New York visits, USPB spokespersons from last Thanksgiving, Bruce Weinstein and Mark Scarborough, demonstrated three of the newly developed microwave dishes:
Microwave Mashed
Roasted-style Provencal Potatoes
Southwest Potato and Chicken Casserole

In Nashville, Des Moines and Birmingham, Patty Mastracco, home economist, food stylist, and food editor, demonstrated the same three recipes. 

All chefs were able to prepare and serve all three recipes within 20-30 minutes, and all the dishes were well received.  Mashed Potatoes in eight minutes (microwave time) were the biggest hit.

Publications the USPB could not meet with received press kits containing the microwave recipes, the UN declaration for IYOP, a press release on scientific research and the “Ultimate Potato Cookbook”.

In coming issues of Industry Update, watch for additional stories on the magazines that actually pick up these microwave convenience techniques in their publications.  

International Year of the Potato--
While the potatoes were in the microwave, The USPB group previewed the International Year of the Potato and why the UN says potatoes are so important to world populations. At the Food Network presentation, a Peruvian chef discussed the importance of potatoes to her country. USPB discussed our new School Wellness Grants in this section, as they will benefit the nutrition of US children. Also at the Food Network, the USPB hosted a lunch featuring several international recipes from the Ultimate Potato Cookbook.

Relish, with a circulation of 9 million, has already committed to a feature story on IYOP (and something on the convenience techniques). USPB public relations agency partner, Fleishman-Hillard will continue pitching this subject with the media and will conduct another round of IYOP publicity in January 2008.

Scientific Research--
USPB presented the following studies to all the publications and The Food Network:

• The Australian study that said a diet with salads and potatoes resulted in fewer cases of type 2 diabetes.
• The Tufts weight loss study that said “it’s about the calories,” not the glycemic index or glycemic load.
• Previewed the USPB satiety and weight loss research currently underway.

Because the USPB group had such substantive information for these meetings, the editors were quite complimentary, saying we had brought them valuable ideas for their publications.

FROZEN POTATOES MAKE THE GRADE!

To demonstrate there are many, many healthy frozen potato options, the USPB has developed a list of frozen potato products which have:

• Zero grams trans fat
• Less than 35% of calories from total fat
• Less than 10% of calories from saturated fat
• Less than 300 milligrams of sodium

The list was introduced recently at the School Nutrition Association Annual Meeting in Chicago. During the three-day event, thousands of school foodservice employees came by the USPB booth and picked up the “Frozen Potatoes Make the Grade!” list, along with Potato Power, a school foodservice brochure with new kid-friendly recipes, the “Dig This!” Poster and lesson plan on the potato nutrition label, plus information on the USPB’s Wellness Grants for schools.  

The USPB, which attended the National PTA Convention in June, plans to continue programs that educate school personnel and parents about the positive nutritional qualities of potatoes. 

Processor List.pdf

RUNNERS CAN’T GO WRONG WITH POTATOES

The September issue of Runner’s World magazine features an article in their “Fuel” section entitled “The Spud Report”, discussing the fact runners overlook potatoes as a fuel source, choosing pasta as their carbohydrate diet staple.

USPB Registered Dietician, Dr. Katherine Beals, is quoted dispelling the myth all potato nutrients are found in the skin. As a sidebar, three recipes are featured for a pre-run dinner, post-run meal and a pre- or post-run snack.

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