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| HEADLINES (Click on headline for full story): | December 17 , 2007 |
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NEW RETAIL PRODUCT UTILIZING US DEHY LAUNCHED IN NEW SECTOR IN KOREA!!! US dehydrated potatoes in the refrigerated grocery section? YOU BET! Large retail stores such as E Mart and Home Plus in cities around South Korea are now selling “Potato and Lentil” soup, a new, refrigerated , convenient, “reheat and eat” item developed by Pulmuone. Pulmuone, one of the top three food manufacturers, established in 1981, has been expanding their business line to various food products that have less than 15 days of shelf life - mostly distributed in the chilled channel, including soups, noodles, sauces, seasonings, instant foods, etc. In 2006, it achieved about eight billion US dollars in annual revenue. This company is specially known as a fresh/natural food provider in Korea by not using preservatives or colorings. Pulmuone's products are sold in almost all available retail channels nationwide - hypermarkets, supermarkets, department store food sections, convenient stores, mom & pop stores, etc.
AFRICARE DEMONSTRATION PROJECT SUMMARY: BURKINA FASO Africare, a non-governmental organization (NGO) working in Africa, received a donation of approximately 9 MT (444 - 20 kg bags) of US dehydrated potato flakes (dehy) from the USPB Quality Samples Program (QSP) to use in its nutrition programs in Burkina Faso. Sixty percent of the donated dehy was used in programs targeting malnourished children, while the other 40% was used in programs targeting people with HIV/AIDS. The dehy was provided to program participants along with soy products.
Of the 130 malnourished children who received dehy and soy, 60% recovered, compared to only 42% of those only receiving soy. Also, of the 102 people infected with HIV/AIDS who received dehy and soy, 75% of them improved their nutritional status during the course of the demonstration project. This pilot project with Africare in Burkina Faso demonstrated that not only is US dehy well liked by individuals participating in development programs in Africa, but, more importantly, dehy helps to improve the nutritional status of these program participants. As a result of this project, Africare has incorporated standard potato flakes into their USAID Title II programming for FY07 and FY08. The results of this USPB US dehy demonstration study can also be used to demonstrate the nutritional benefits of dehy to other NGOs. US FROZEN AND DEHY BENEFITS DELIVERED TO SYMPOSIUM OF KOREAN SOCIETY OF FOOD SCIENCE AND NUTRITION
The KFN has about 12,000 members, including food technologists, professors, nutritionists, food nutrition related students, as well as food company R&D managers. Reaching out to these members and demonstrating the benefits of US potatoes will help further expand US potato usage into new channels such as institutional foodservice and benefit USPB International Marketing programs well into the future.
“BOOTS ON THE GROUND” BUILDING FROZEN POTATO DEMAND IN SOUTHEAST ASIA
As such, International Marketing Manager, Susan Weller, spent nearly two weeks in the Philippines, Thailand and Malaysia in November as part of continuing training for these new potato team members. A variety of meetings with USDA officials, importers and distributors, as well as foodservice and retail personnel, helped to connect with the frozen potato trade, as well as lay the groundwork for further marketing efforts in these countries. One frequent topic was the lack of frozen potato supplies in the region due to shortages of potatoes worldwide. Much of the trade was interested in purchasing US product, but found it difficult to promote potatoes as they were leery of coming up short on supplies.
SUSTAINABILITY, FOOD SAFETY UNDERSCORE OUTLOOK SUMMIT IN BRANSON, MO Despite the 2007 North American potato crop being 0.7 percent greater than a year ago, prices appear to be holding steady. Eight production states report 12,500 fewer acres of russet potatoes harvested. All russet varieties decreased except for russet Burbanks grown for processing. The increased supply is in processing usage only. Growers were advised not to push potatoes into the market. There are opportunities to make profits by selling in an orderly fashion. Strong frozen product sales also indicate increasing usage and favorable demand. Consumption is up 1.7 percent pre-fourth quarter, and fourth quarter sales are historically strong for this segment. Demand may begin to trend upward, but in the short run, it appears to have stabilized. Despite stronger prices since 2005, growers were advised to continue managing supply through acreage reductions. Cost of production has climbed at a greater rate than prices have been able to support. Growers have very good prospects with rotation crops, due to increased demand of feedstocks for biofuels. Strong commodity markets are providing growers with the rare opportunity to improve their operations by lengthening potato rotations. The good news with food safety is that potatoes, cooked in all food applications, are practically exempt from disease contamination and food borne illnesses. Fresh, raw produce can not even tolerate a minimal level of 0.5 percent E. coli presence, which is the common level now accepted in hamburger (because proper cooking kills E. coli). Reaching consensus on food safety between producers, buyers and consumers is in dire need of harmonization. Most retailers and buyers are doing their own thing as far as standards are concerned, and increasing scrutiny is being leveled about the level of FDA involvement required to prevent outbreaks of food borne illnesses. The best way to shape public perception about potatoes and food safety is for the industry to develop its best practices and to develop systems that ensure compliance and advocate research. It’s imperative these steps are taken in order to have a strong presence in any regulatory or legislative processes. The Fresh Demand Working Group (FDWG) and the USPB introduced a new campaign to communicate potato nutrition and goodness to consumers. “Potatoes…Goodness Unearthed™” represents months of in-depth consumer research about consumer perceptions and lifestyles with potatoes by a New York City based international branding agency. This new nutrition campaign joins a growing list of agriculture commodities that have established identities through lasting consumer messages like: “Pork. The Other White Meat®” and “Cotton. The Fabric of Our Lives®.” A full-fledged campaign will roll-out January 15. Campaign signature artwork and design guidelines are available by contacting David Fairbourn, USPB Industry Communications and Policy Manager, at 303-873-2331, or david.fairbourn@uspotatoes.com. BLEMISHES, DISEASES COVERED AT NPC SEED SEMINAR If you’ve ever wondered about whether it’s silver scurf or black dot you are seeing in storage, NDSU Professors of Plant Pathology Dr. Neil C. Gudmestad and Dr. Gary Secor delivered presentations on both diseases to help differentiate the two. Silver Scurf and black dot are difficult to distinguish on russet, but black dot is usually the first disease making a spring appearance in the Red River Valley. Early spring rains and prolonged soil saturation before row closure promote black dot development. For field control, moldboard plowing, as opposed to deep ripping, will cause a significant reduction in black dot inoculum. Translaminar strobulurins are also effective during the two to three week emergence stage. The periderm of black dot infected tubers is not nearly as dehydrated as silver scurf infected potatoes. Black dot and silver scurf can be found together in storages. While silver scurf can grow through air transfer, black dot will not. With both black dot and silver scurf, infections will be more severe the longer the potatoes are left in the field at harvest. With silver scurf, combinations of field and storage strategies are needed to manage this disease. At least one year of rotation is needed as silver scurf does not survive well in soil. Storage sanitation is recommended. Find seed lots that are free of this disease. To manage known incidence of silver scurf, harvest should be completed in less than 10 days and relative humidity in storages should be lower than 90 percent to prevent its spread. There is a trade off of increased pressure bruising. There aren’t any good resistant varieties yet, but breeders are working with species that show potential. Silver scurf spores can be killed if chlorine dioxide is blown through the storage system. Colder storage is also an effective control measure. Most of the control strategies for silver scurf do not work for black dot, so an accurate diagnosis of the cause of the blemish is required. Other diseases covered at the seminar included PVY and common scab. Nematode identification and control were also discussed, and emerging seed varieties from the national breeding programs were presented. |
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©2007 United States Potato Board |
The results of the pilot project show the dehy was well liked by program participants, and dehy helped improve the nutritional status of the malnourished children and people infected with HIV/AIDS. In order to determine whether or not dehy helped to improve the nutritional status of program participants, some program participants received both dehy and soy products, while other participants received only the soy. The results of the project show people who received dehy and soy were more likely to improve their nutritional status, than those that only received soy products. 
The United States Potato Board (USPB) furthered the positive image of the potato internationally by participating recently in the 2007 International Symposium and Annual Meeting in Muju, Korea. Put on by the KFN (Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition), the USPB hosted a 1½ hour focused potato session with three top nutrition experts from Korea, Japan and the US who illuminated the virtues of potatoes including frozen and dehy potatoes. Subject matter during the session included positive potato nutrition facts, the versatility of potato usage, applications of dehy potatoes in mass catering, ensuring the quality of frozen foods via freezing methods, as well as an overview of the US potato industry and quality practices. A USPB conference booth delivered healthy potato information and applications, a new frozen potato attribute research brochure, as well as enabling attendees to sample US mashed potatoes. Additionally, Joongang University professor, Dr. Sang-Do Ha, presented his positive Frozen Potato Attribute Study findings during a research poster session.
In July 2007, the USPB hired two new representatives in Southeast Asia to extend the USPB’s sphere of influence and help build a stronger marketing base for new exports to the region. Working as an extension of the USPB International Marketing Department, international representatives play a key role to ensure increased use of US potatoes in the markets.
professional student chefs of the Kollege Damansara Utama (KDU). Much of the success of these two training seminars was due to the assistance and creative juices of former USPB RTM training participant and President of the Chef’s Association of Malaysia, Chef Johari Edrus. “Chef Joe” not only arranged the seminars, but also spoke on behalf of US potatoes by introducing their benefits through a “Foodservice Trends and Potatoes” presentation, as well as a bounty of frozen potato recipes which included localized, flavored dips such as “gadogado”- a peanut sauce, to use as a possible fry dip.
