News on Food Trends from Northern America

The focus for Potandon Produce LLC at the New York Produce Show this year will be on the health benefits of potatoes, and particularly of some of Potandon’s proprietary products.

A research team has identified a virus infecting Phytophthora infestans, the pathogen causing late blight in potatoes and tomatoes, that appears to increase the pathogen's ability to cause the disease.

Steve Easterbrook, former CEO and President at McDonald's has left the company, following the Board's determination that he violated company policy and demonstrated poor judgment involving a recent consensual relationship with an employee.

Yield10 Bioscience, Inc. announced that it has signed a research agreement with Boise, Idaho-based J. R. Simplot Company, to evaluate three novel yield traits in potato.

As potato harvest starts to wrap up across the Northwest, how does the 2019 crop look?

Potato processing plants in Manitoba and Alberta may not run at full capacity this winter. About 20,000 acres of potatoes were in the ground in Manitoba as of the middle of October, and growers needed two weeks of favourable weather to harvest the crop.

Anaheim, Calif. – The 2019-2020 Produce Marketing Association (PMA) Board of Directors took office October 17th during PMA’s 2019 Fresh Summit Convention & Expo in Anaheim, California, USA.

Conagra Brands, Inc. (CAG) announced that it has completed the divestiture of the portion of its snacks business that operates under a Direct-Store-Delivery (DSD) model to Utz Quality Foods, LLC.

Consuming potato puree during prolonged exercise works just as well as a commercial carbohydrate gel in sustaining blood glucose levels and boosting performance in trained athletes, scientists report.

President Donald Trump formally signed the U.S.-Japan-Free Trade Agreement on Oct. 6. This agreement locks in tariff benefits with Japan that were previously negotiated under the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement but lost when the U.S. failed to ratify

Heat and Control, global food processing and packaging systems equipment manufacturer and solutions provider, continues to ask their customers, “What do you want to create today?”

Spudnik Equipment Company has reached an agreement to buy STC Trailers, according to a recent press release. Terms were not disclosed. Both companies are headquartered in Blackfoot, Idaho. The acquisition will go into effect Jan. 1, 2020.

The University of Maine at Presque Isle marked the completion of its state-of-the-art, four-season Zillman Family Greenhouse with an official opening and dedication ceremony on Friday, Sept. 27.

VMG Partners, a private equity, beginning with the acquisition of the popchips™ brand in North America and most international markets outside of the United Kingdom and Europe.

Snack company Frito-Lay aims to replace all of its existing diesel-powered freight equipment with zero-emission (ZE) and near-zero emission (NZE) technologies at its Modesto, California manufacturing and distribution facility.

Greg Donald, general manager of the P.E.I. Potato Board, says he hopes potato fields will be able to absorb a lot of the moisture from Tuesday's rain. Island potato farmers are hoping Tuesday's heavy rain isn't a sign of things to come.

Farmers, ranchers and many others involved in U.S. agriculture are welcoming an announcement of a mini-trade deal between the United States and Japan, a long-time, steady customer of U.S. ag products.

McCain Foods has announced its commitment to a new innovative program, Farms of the Future. The goal of the program is to advance sustainable farming practices by helping to demonstrate their scalability and their economic viability.