News on Food Trends from Europe

To ensure the research AHDB funds has the biggest impact and benefit for the potato industry, they work to connect growers with researchers and scientists with initiatives like their Strategic Spot Farms.

According to the two potato experts Andreas Heitsch and Jan Mennerich of the new online platform An-Ja, the key to success lies in differentiating potatoes. With their sophisticated 'potato finder', they enable consumers to easily and conveniently find exactly the right tuber for every dish.

RUCIP European Committee -  the organisation that looks after the rules and practices of the Inter-European Trade in Potatoes - has a new internal organisation and new leadership.

The Scottish seed potato industry has harnessed willing buyers in Europe to support their efforts to get the European Commission to re-think its current ban on the importation of UK seed stocks – yet the chances of success remain 50/50.

La cadena valenciana Mercadona ha eliminado las bolsas de plástico de un solo uso de todas las secciones de sus tiendas físicas, en el servicio a domicilio y online, con lo que cumple el primer hito de la Estrategia 6.25, que ha llevado a cabo a lo largo de 2020.

Ireland’s seed potato sector looks set to get a Brexit shot in the arm. This was one of the key messages delivered courtesy of the second Spring Tillage Webinar, hosted by Teagasc this week.

Until December 31, 2020 the North-western European Potato Growers (NEPG) was a 5 country organization, but the organization started 2021 without the British AHDB. Also, Victor Pfaff stepped down as NEPG secretary and is replaced by Daniel Ryckmans.

Las patatas congeladas de corte fino que venden en Mercadona, se han convertido en su nuevo éxito de ventas ya que imita a la perfección a las patatas de McDonald's.

Este ha sido muy mal año para la patata. En estos momentos todavía queda almacenada en Castilla y León en torno a un 50% más de lo habitual en estas fechas y además, con grandes dificultades de salida.

The Grow Your Own Potatoes (GYOP) Programme will go ahead as planned in 2021 with the support of the potato industry.

VIRTO GROUP, the largest frozen vegetable company in Spain and one of the most important in Europe, has again selected TOMRA for its sorters. The company has updated its main plant in Azagra (Navarra) with eleven Nimbus BSI+ sorters.

Dutch criminals are increasingly using exports to Africa to launder money which is subsequently invested in diamonds and gold from the continent, FIOD chief Bert Langerak has said.

Organizers of the Anuga FoodTec planned to take place in Cologne, Germany from March 23-26, 2021 have rescheduled the exhibition for April 26-29, 2022.

It is a variety registered by Neiker to help the agricultural sector with innovative products to diversify and adapt to the demands of consumers.

DOWNS introduces CropVision®: an Optical Sorter for Unwashed Potatoes, evaluates and categorizes potatoes using HD cameras combined with AI and splits them into three streams, at a capacity of up to 100 tons per hour.

The Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Qu Dongyu, launched the International Year of Fruits and Vegetables on the 15th of December 2020.

Starch-based gluten-free bread (formulations containing a mixture of corn and potato starch with hydrocolloids) are deficient in nutrients and do not contain health promoting compounds.

The FAO Food Price Index (FFPI) averaged 107.5 points in December 2020, up 2.3 points (2.2 percent) from November, marking the seventh month of consecutive increase.