Potato News from the Americas

Eagle Eye Produce has completed a new red and yellow potato packing facility in Idaho Falls, adding automation and AI-powered optical grading to improve efficiency, quality and flexibility while supporting program growth.

Idaho’s 2026 potato harvest is showing solid quality but lower yields, with frost, heat, warm nights and wildfire smoke affecting production. Planted area fell to 298,915 acres as growers report smaller crops.

Uglies® Sweet Potato Chips won two 2026 industry awards. Its Hot Honey flavor received a Best New Product Award, while its Original, Hot Honey and Spicy BBQ varieties earned Double Gold for taste and packaging.

Ellips will showcase four AI-powered potato and onion grading solutions at the Global Produce & Floral Show 2026 in Orlando, highlighting automation, labor savings, defect detection, higher throughput, CombiGrader and CleanFlow Pre-Sorter.

Deprez has partnered with Exeter Engineering to strengthen its presence in North America. The collaboration will focus on providing automated solutions to improve product flow, storage and handling for citrus processors and packers.

Lamb Weston has appointed Sean M. Krajnik as Vice President of Manufacturing. He will oversee several U.S. production facilities, bringing more than 25 years of experience in plant operations, operational excellence, and people development.

PepsiCo will invest USD 1 billion in Colombia over five years to expand production and distribution, an investment that could strengthen its potato supply chain, where it is already the country’s largest industrial buyer at around 84,000 tonnes per year.

Urschel and KRONEN will showcase cutting and line-building solutions at The Global Produce and Floral Show 2026, including the Little Gem Aspire Dicer and GS 10-2 Slicer, alongside equipment for washing, drying and peeling.

Heat and Control will showcase potato processing, seasoning, packaging and thermal processing technologies at Pack Expo International 2026, including Cascade Water Recirculation, Symphony Seasoning and Tek-Dry solutions.

Polysense has opened its first US office in Chicago to serve food manufacturers across the US and Canada, expanding its AI-driven quality control and process optimization solutions for potato, bakery, and fruit and vegetable processing.

Idahoan Foods launches Ultimate Mashed Potatoes, a premium line made with 100% REAL Idaho® Potatoes. Available in Garlic Butter and Loaded Baked varieties, the new range delivers bold flavors and restaurant-style comfort in minutes.

FAM STUMABO will showcase the Yuran Hytec 300 EC, SureTec 240 and Centris 400C at PACK EXPO International 2026 in Chicago, highlighting industrial cutting solutions for potato and food processors focused on efficiency, consistency and yield.

Saratoga Potato Chips recalls J. HIGGS Loaded Bacon and Cheddar Potato Chips in Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio, Tennessee and Maryland over undeclared soy. Consumers with allergies should avoid affected packages and return them for a refund.

El Niño has reached a record 3.05°C, surpassing the 2015 high. Scientists warn the powerful event could worsen heatwaves, droughts, floods, wildfires and food insecurity as global temperatures continue to rise.

A FinanceBuzz and Bank of America survey finds 63 percent of Americans use food delivery monthly, while high fees influence ordering decisions, with 68 percent abandoning a delivery order after seeing the final cost.

Urschel will showcase its Little Gem Aspire™ Dicer at Tecno Fidta 2026 in Buenos Aires, Argentina, from September 15-18. The compact dicer is designed for continuous produce cutting and streamlined food processing operations.

Keogh's Crisps has secured its largest overseas distribution deal, bringing five crisp flavours to 1,400 Publix stores in the United States, now its largest export market.

The National Potato Congress 2026 will bring together the Mexican potato sector from October 14 to 16 in Mexico City to address innovation, productivity, sustainability and commercialization.