News On French Fries and Potato Specialties from the United States

It takes guts to start a business, even in good economic times. So you might think that only the most wildly optimistic entrepreneurs would attempt it now, with the country in the depths of a recession. Maybe so, but it’s hard to keep a good idea down...

The first part of 2008 began as a banner year for spuds."But then all of a sudden in the fourth quarter of 2008, things started to change,"Dale Lathim said, Executive Director of the Potato Growers of Washington.Despite how good the french f...

Refridgerated and Frozen Foods held an extensive interview with Mark Hayden, senior VP of supply chain and distribution sales at Conagra Lamb Weston.An exerpt: “When you get into these types of economic conditions, operators need someone to bring them...

The outlook for the 2008 U.S. potato crop was just fine until recession reared its ugly head.The weak economy is reducing demand from restaurants because people simply aren't eating out as often, industry officials said this week during the 2009 nation...

Potato processing giant Lamb Weston has no immediate plans to develop a facility in Maine, although the company continues to watch economic and agricultural activity in the state.“We have been monitoring the opportunities for Lamb Weston’s potential in...

Jay Gould: The New York Fries president on selling fries when times are tough (video)

The 13 major [US] potato States held 242 million cwt of potatoes in storage December 1, 2008, down 9 percent from a year ago and 7 percent below December 1, 2006. Potatoes in storage accounted for 66 percent of the 2008 fall storage States' production,...

ConAgra Foods is eager to start a new office building for subsidiary Lamb Weston now that the Richland City Council has approved a new $1.4 million deal for land at Columbia Point. ConAgra spokesman Jeff Mochal said Thursday that some details remain to...

“This fry thing has just exploded,” said Jimmy Burch, partner in Burch Farms Inc., Faison, N.C. “We doubled the business we did last year, and last year we doubled the business we did the year before.”Also expecting to double their fry sales this year...

ConAgra Foods, one of the world's largest packaged foods companies, is changing its environmental programs from compliance-driven to proactive sustainability initiatives.With manufacturing facilities around the globe, ConAgra has implemented an integra...

American Frozen Food Institute (AFFI) Chairman James E. Matthews Jr. of the H.J. Heinz Company today announced Robert L. Garfield has assumed the role of interim president of AFFI following the resignation of Leslie G. Sarasin. Garfield takes over for...

The U.S. Potato Board recently wrapped a week-long course called "Processed Potatoes 101"for business representatives from more than 14 countries.The gathering, which took place in Pasco, Wash., was the largest the board ever put together. Th...

So here it is, a PotatoPro Newsletter on 'McDonald's World Famous Fries' or MacFries as I will keep calling them in short. Yes, as far as I could figure out they were called MacFries, not McFries, even though Google gives more than twice as much hits on McFries than MacFries.

H.J. Heinz’s low-priced “comfort foods” will help the company weather the turbulent economy, according to Art Winkleblack Heinz’s chief financial officer. Heinz is doing well with its Ore-Ida frozen potatoes, soups, beans, and condiments. Winkleblack ...

A new cooking technology under development at Purdue University could please both dieters looking for lowercalorie meals and food retailers seeking lower costs. It has the potential to produce “fried” foods using vastly less oil, and to cook them at sp...

J.R. Simplot Co. and ConAgra Foods (Lamb Weston) have both agreed to hefty price increases for 2009 crop spuds, representatives for Potato Growers of Washington and the Southern Idaho Potato Cooperative said.For growers, the new contracts mean an overa...

Recently, the Moms' Quality Correspondents concluded their second year of unprecedented access to the McDonald's® system of owner/operators, executives and Supply Chain with Lamb Weston, one of McDonald's Potato Suppliers for McDonald’s Hash Browns and...

ConAgra Foods, Inc., (NYSE: CAG) one of North America's leading packaged food companies, today reported results for the fiscal 2009 first quarter ended Aug. 24, 2008. Diluted EPS from continuing operations was $0.23, including net $0.04 per diluted sha...