Potato News from the United States

Chris Voigt is the executive director of the Washington State Potato Commission, which supports and promotes the Washington state potato industry (1). On October 1st, Mr. Voigt began a two month, potato-only diet to raise awareness about the health properties of potatoes.

A mother of two says that McDonald’s uses toys as bait to induce her kids to clamor to go to McDonald’s and to develop a preference for nutritionally poor Happy Meals. With the help of the Center for Science in the Public Interest, today the mom, Monet Parham, is filing a class action lawsuit aimed at stopping McDonald’s use of toys to market directly to young children.

Pack Expo 2010 didn't seem to suffer any as a solo show for the first time in 14 years.

Union Pacific says the dehydrated potato flakes it was hauling caused a costly derailment at its biggest railyard because Idahoan Foods did not properly clean the wheels of its freight cars.

The 13 major potato States held 232 million cwt of potatoes in storage December 1, 2010, down 13 percent from a year ago.

Though potato fields yielded average amounts, the crop quality in Maine was better than last year, growers and industry representatives said Monday.

Diacetyl - a chemical used in butter flavoring – may damages the lungs by reacting and forming complexes with amino acids in cell membranes, according to a new US study.

Diamond Foods, Inc. (Nasdaq:DMND) today reported strong financial performance for its first quarter of fiscal 2011 and increased guidance for the full-year.

When it comes to calories, parents lack a basic understanding of their impact on weight and may even be skeptical that calories are just the latest food and nutrition fad.

America’s number one potato, the Idaho® potato, has earned another number one title: Best Agricultural Cooperative Website.

Bayer CropScience today announced that is has divested certain crop protection products to Amvac Chemical Corporation (Amvac)

Wise Foods Inc., a leading regional salty snack company, announced that it has completed a new $48 million credit facility.

Better Made Potato Chips is planning to move its growing $17 million private label potato stick manufacturing business to a new facility.

ConAgra Foods Inc (CAG.N) cut its 2011 earnings outlook for the second time after quarterly results were weaker than expected, underscoring the difficulties facing the U.S. food industry.

When the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture renews talks with Mexico this week, potatoes should be on the plate, say U.S. Senators from Idaho and Washington.