News on Food Trends

Highlander Partners, L.P., a leading middle-market private investment firm based in Dallas, Texas, through its newly-formed food platform, Benestar Brands ("Benestar"), announced the acquisition of Evans Food Group ("Evans") from Wind Point Partners.

The FAO Food Price Index averaged 170.9 points in July 2019, down 1.1 percent (1.8 points) from June but 2.3 percent higher than in July 2018. The month-on-month decline was the result of lower prices for some cereals, dairy products and sugar.

Canadian potato processing company Cavendish Farms, a subsidiary of J.D. Irving, announced last week that it will build a new potato research and plant breeding centre in New Annan, Prince Edward Island.

In the United Kingdom, restrictions on the use of products containing Maleic Hydrazide (MH) - used to control volunteers and to suppress sprouting during storage - have been removed following a review by the Chemicals Regulation Division (CRD) of the HSE.

IRI sales data April through June showed success for potato sales in retail outlets in the United States, reports Potatoes USA.

Processing equipment manufacturer Key Technology has appointed Jeff Nielsen as Area Sales Manager. He will offer Key’s digital sorting, conveying and automation systems to food processors in the Southeast and South Central United States.

Recent research at the James Hutton Institute suggests that limited genetic differences in potato lineages has left British and American spuds vulnerable to late blight, the disease that caused the Irish potato famine.

Amazon.com Inc is planning a foray into the burgeoning online food delivery business from restaurants in India this year, in a move that could raise competition in an increasingly crowded market.

To protect the interest of the Punjab farmers and uphold the state’s leadership position as the largest potato seed producing state in India, Punjab is planning the certification and traceability of seed potato using blockchain technology as of next year.

Sensor-based sorter manufacturer TOMRA offers their insights on the impact of sorting technology on food safety in the Potato Processing Industry

The Canadian government of the provincial government of Prince Edward Island are providing some additional help for Island farmers following the poor potato harvest of 2018, they announced at a farm in Pownal, P.E.I., Friday morning.

The International Potato Technology Expo, a leading potato event in Canada, returns to the Eastlink Centre in Charlottetown February 21-22, 2020.

WSU plant pathologists Kiwamu Tanaka and Cynthia Gleason are exploring novel approaches to protect the potato crops against nematodes and scab - mobilizing nature itself.

PepsiCo, Inc. (NASDAQ: PEP) ("PepsiCo") today announced that it has entered into an agreement to acquire all the outstanding shares of Pioneer Foods Group Ltd.

On 10 May, a meeting was held between AuSPICA, members of the Tasmanian Certified Seed Potato Scheme (known as TasSeed) and invited industry representatives.

Philippine-based food company Universal Robina (URC) has announced the divestiture of a 40% stake in its Oceania subsidiary, URC Oceania, to the German snack food manufacturer Intersnack.

Indian Farmers’ movements have decided to put up a fight to ensure that farmers’ seed freedoms are not violated in any way. Many speakers also also felt that PepsiCo India should pay compensation to the Gujarat potato farmers involved.

ILVO, HOGENT and TRIAS in Belgium are hosting a Peruvian delegation to the Food Pilot (ILVO, Melle, Belgium) to get the production of so-called “tuntas” (freeze dried potatoes) in a small cooperative factory in the Andes.