Potato News from Northern America

McDonald’s Chief Executive Officer Jim Skinner announced today that Ralph Alvarez has decided to retire as President and Chief Operating Officer of the company for health-related reasons.“After more than 30 years in the restaurant industry, the past 15...

The 2009 fall potato production for the U.S. and Canada combined is estimated at 494 million cwt, up 2 percent from 2008. The U.S. fall potato production is estimated at 392 million cwt, 3 percent higher than 2008. Canada's potato growers harvested 102...

PepsiCo, la empresa madre del fabricante de aperitivos Frito-Lay ( Doritos, Tostitos y Cheetos) quiere cambiar la cara de la compañia y darle una presentación de empresa responsable con el medio ambiente ya ha mostrado algunos avances con el desarrollo...

Closure of the Idahoan Foods plant that employed 22 percent of Clark County's labor force, causes uncertainty for the residents of the southeastern Idaho town of Dubois.The shuttering of the Idahoan Foods plant on Oct. 22 eliminated 128 jobs from a pla...

McCain Foods (Canada) was recognized for its environmental leadership and energy conservation achievements at an awards dinner in Toronto on Nov. 24. The company received the award for its energy recovery system at its potato processing plant in Carber...

The Frozen Potato Institute [AFFI] whose members supply fast food chains with the raw material for french fries, succeeded in persuading FDA's Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition to extend its comment period on scientific data and information ...

Phil Lempert Supermarket Guru reports a Food Institute analysis of newly released government data shows grocery prices in October posted their largest decline in 50 years.The Consumer Price Index for food-at-home last month was 2.8% less than the same ...

Wendy’s/Arby’s Group Inc. and Krispy Kreme Doughnuts Inc. would not comment on a report Monday speculating that a deal may be in the works.An item in Briefing.com, as reported by Barrons, said that the parent of the Wendy’s and Arby’s fast-food brands ...

To celebrate Pringles' "parade of 100 crisps"and less air than the leading bagged chips, Pringles' teams are coming to New York City on November 25 for 24 hours, to donate air not used in its cans for parade balloons this holiday season. Dur...

P.E.I.’s potato farmers are hoping more aggressive marketing will help their industry bounce back after a tough season.Many Island growers met Friday in Summerside for the P.E.I Potato Board's annual general meeting.Board chair Boyd Murphy said this ye...

What do French pastry vegetarian pizza, Buffalo-style chicken meatballs, and orange citrus soufflés have in common? All of these products were on display at the recent Private Label Manufacturers Assoc. Trade Show in Rosemont, Ill. As private label foo...

Earl Smith accepted the P.E.I. Potato Board’s recognition award for his 44 years of service to the potato industry on the Island at the board’s annual banquet at Credit Union Place last night. The Summerside farmer began his career with Canada Packers ...

The union representing Cavendish Farms workers has publicly thanked the P.E.I. government for more than $600,000 in training money.The money will allow employees of the company's two potato processing plants in New Annan who expect to be out of work du...

American Frozen Food Institute (AFFI) President and CEO Kraig R. Naasz today announced the addition of two new staff members to AFFI’s conferences department. Mary Becton joins AFFI as the new director of conferences, while Kristen Friend is the new ma...

Idaho Falls-based United Potato Growers of Idaho, the organization that led the way in encouraging spud growers nationwide to reign in acreage in order to buoy markets, has a new lease on life. At the organization’s fall growers’ meeting Nov. 11, Unit...

Mintel has identified six key flavors trends that will be recognizable in 2010 in the US market.   Mintel’s flavor predictions for 2010   Cardamom - Known to be intensely aromatic with a strong, unique taste, cardamom will find a home in more than ju...

Joining the likes of Microsoft’s Bing and The Beatles Rock Band, Kettle Brand® Potato Chips, one of the fastest growing brands in snack food, made its debut this week on Advertising Age’s list of the “Hottest Brands of the Year.” In an ironic twist, t...

La sustancia química acrilamida, que es un agente potencialmente cancerígeno, no eleva el riesgo de desarrollar cáncer de boca, garganta, cuerdas vocales o tiroides, con una sola excepción. Más allá de una posible asociación con el cáncer de boca en m...