Potato News from Asia

Last week I received more information on one of the two (!) large potato conferences next year in India, so I decided this was a good time to pay attention to the fast changes in the Indian Potato Processing industry.

Packets of the popular snack Pringles were Wednesday removed from Hong Kong supermarkets after tests in mainland China found them to contain a cancer-causing chemical. Barbecue-flavoured packets of the potato crisps were taken off sale in Wellcome, one...

Fast food giant chain McDonald's has opened its 102nd restaurant in Turkey in the Anatolian city of Eski?ehir. The restaurant opened last week in the Espark Shopping Center. McDonald's Turkey General Manager Sadi Fansa said at the opening ceremony that...

Multinational snack maker FritoLay has Indianised its potato chips brand Lay’s in the wake of competition by new entrants like ITC’s Bingo. As part of its rebranding exercise, FritoLay has introduced Lay’s Chaat street, India’s Mint Mischief and Wafer...

China will soon set up a potato research center for the Asia-Pacific region.The move shows the world's biggest producer and consumer of the tuber is committed to spending more on global agricultural research.The new center will be part of Peru-based In...

McDonald's Holdings Co. Japan Ltd., a unit of the world's biggest restaurant operator, said four franchise restaurants sold outdated salads and used expired ingredients, in a filing yesterday to the Tokyo Stock Exchange. The disclosures by McDonald's...

La cadena de restaurantes McDonald's ha reconocido que podría haber vendido ensaladas y otros alimentos caducados en cuatro de sus locales de Tokio. Según la empresa, algunos empleados habrían cambiado las etiquetas de algunas ensaladas que aún no vend...

Indian giant ITC has announced that it aims to treble the turnover of its packaged food operations and to become the overall leader of the Indian packaged food sector by 2011.The cigarette giant’s food units are growing at a rate of 68.17% annually.Exa...

Potato growers are advised to sell their potato immediately because there will be a decline in the price in the coming months, according to the Domestic and Export Market Intelligence Cell of the Tamil Nadu Agricultural University. Price is comparativ...

For years, McDonald's Corp. executives have boasted of endless opportunities in China, one of the largest untapped regions for the world's biggest burger chain. Yet the Golden Arches' brain trust isn't lovin' it enough to ramp up expansion in one of ...

Both Burger King and Wendy’s have held talks with DLF, a leading real estate developer to discuss an entry into the Indian market. Sources say that the ball is now in DLF’s court for zeroing in on a partner. The exact partnership model that is being ex...

FritoLay India has become the largest player in the branded salty snack market in the country and has been one of the fastest-growing FMCG companies in India for a number of years. Fritolay India managing director Manu Anand discusses the future plans ...

Packaged snacks are getting a lot of attention from big, branded players. So Frito-Lay, with its Lays, Cheetos, Kurkure, Lehar, Uncle Chipps and Quaker Oats snack brands is seeing some pretty concentrated competition from ITC’s Bingo! with its 16 flav...

Calbee Foods Co. has partnered with R.D. Offutt Co., the largest potato grower in the U.S., to establish a large and stable supply of potatoes for its snack foods, especially for its strategic new product Jagabee, The Nikkei reported in its Wednesday m...

Taking a cue from the success of ITC's Bingo, Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation (GCMMF), universally known for its dairy products brand Amul, has decided to enter the branded snacks market with Munch Time, a salty snack much like Frito Lay’...

In India, McDonalds reveals unique local flavours — both on its very resistable menu and otherwise. Much to the surprise of ultranationalists and leftists who thought the American food giant would be routed, it has stuck around, growing and expanding ...

Major food companies are contributing to increased carbon emissions through the destruction of Indonesia's peat swamp forests to produce palm oil, claims a report released by Greenpeace today.Unilever, Nestle, Cargill and ADM, as well as some leading s...

International Dairy Queen Inc, a U.S. ice cream chain, will boost its outlets in China by adding 500 stores in the next five years, banking on the potential growth in ice cream consumption by an increasingly affluent population.     The company, contr...