Idaho Potato Commission renewed Heart Check mark contract

An official with the American Heart Association believes Idaho potato shippers aren't fully tapping the right to use his organization's iconic heart check mark.

For a registration fee of $5,000 per variety, the Idaho Potato Commission renewed a 12-month contract in November entitling members to use the logo on packaging of four varieties -- Russets, fingerlings, reds and yellows. Individual fresh packing operations must still submit an application and a discounted fee of $1,000 per variety for rights to the heart-check mark.

"I wouldn't say a large number (of facilities have registered),"said Dennis Milne, director of business relations with the AHA's Department of Nutrition and Obesity Strategies. "They're slowly coming in over time."

The Idaho Potato Commission was the first, and only, potato organization to gain approval of a heart health claim. However, Milne has been contacted by other state potato commissions interested in applying.