Potato News from Northern America

A new flavor of French fries – Gilroy Garlic Fries – are currently being tested in McDonald's restaurants in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Potato plants boost the chemical defenses in their leaves when Guatemalan tuber moth larvae feed on their tubers, report researchers at the Boyce Thompson Institute (BTI).

Potatoes have been bred at Cornell for at least 50 years and 70% of the university’s breeding efforts are focused on developing new chip varieties. Walter De Jong reports.

Blue and White Chips, a team of two Penn State College of Agricultural Sciences student entrepreneurs who make and market naturally colorful blue-and-white potato chips to Penn State fans, won $7,500 and first place at the Ag Springboard student business pitch contest.

Inventure Foods, Inc. today reported financial results for the first quarter ended March 26, 2016.

Snyder's of Hanover® – the No. 1 pretzel brand in the United States – is bringing swagger back to the pretzel category on National Pretzel Day. On April 26, they're giving away thousands of bags of boldly-flavored Pretzel Pieces near baseball stadiums in eight cities around the country.

For the first time in brand history, the Lay's brand asked Americans to help decide which Lay's flavors stay and which flavors go. The decided to pass on ALL of the new flavors and stick to the old ones

Entomologist Ada Szczepaniec at Texas A&M AgriLife Research is addressing the concern of growing resistance of potato psyllids to the neonicotinoid classification of insecticides.

Potato acres are expected to fall in Manitoba this spring, as french fry companies cut back on process potato contracts.

York has been working for three years to publicize the 50th anniversary of the invention of the Yukon Gold, a potato bred by Gary Johnston - researcher at the University of Guelph in 1966.

McDonald's Corporation announced its financial results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2016.

The Canadian Marketing Produce Association (CPMA) recently recognized Jennifer Harris, Marketing Director of Mid-Isle Farms in Albany, PEI, with the prestigious Mary Fitzgerald Award at their 91st Annual Convention and Trade Show in Calgary, Alberta.

Colorado based Strohauer Farms are trying out a couple more fingerling varieties this season - adding to an already impressive line-up of specialty potatoes - as they continue to see growth in the fingerling potato segment.

A study published in The BMJ shows that replacing saturated fats with vegetable oils rich in linoleic acid lowers blood cholesterol, but may not curb heart disease risk or help you live longer. The findings question the widely held belief that vegetable oils rich in linoleic acid are good for heart health.

Nomura analysts responded to reports that McDonald’s Corp. is testing two new versions of its iconic Big Mac sandwich with the suggestion that the fast-food chain do the same with its french fries.

This week (April 17th to 23rd) is National Soil Conservation Week in Canada, and as potato farmers across Prince Edward Island are gearing up for spring planting, they are making soil conservation a priority on their farms.

ConAgra Foods Lamb Weston's Boardman, Oregon, processing facility has received its official Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED®) Silver certification, awarded by the U. S. Green Building Council (USGBC).

Potato farmers on Prince Edward Island are getting ready to begin their planting season, thanks to this year's mild weather.