News on Food Trends from Northern America

Four experts in nutrition and athletic performance have partnered with Potatoes USA to create 13 new recipes designed to encourage active consumers to power their performance with potatoes.

The Pineland Farms Potato company in Mars Hill, Maine - acquired last year by Bob Evans Foods - changed hands again this year as Bob Evans Foods was acquired by Post Holdings.

The Colorado potato beetle is notorious for its role in starting the pesticide industry - and for its ability to resist the insecticides developed to stop it. Now scientists have sequenced the beetle’s genome, probing its genes for clues to its surprising adaptability.

Barnana Brings the First Organic Ridged Plantain Chip to Market, and they are made from imperfect plantains.

Duravant LLC (“Duravant”), a global engineered equipment and automation solutions provider to the food processing, packaging and material handling sectors, announced today that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Key Technology, Inc. (“Key Technology”) (NASDAQ:KTEC).

Canada's largest full‐service restaurant company Cara is to merge with Keg Restaurants Ltd. The addition of 106 The Keg restaurants will provide Cara with a network of 1,365 restaurants.

The Government of Canada supports the investment in a Sherlock Separator potato sorter by RWL Holdings LTD (PEI Potato Solutions), a potato washing and sorting facility to optimize potatoes for processing prior to delivery to Cavendish Farms.

McDonald’s announces goals to improve its packaging and help significantly reduce waste to positively impact the communities the company serves around the world.

When some Colombian potato varieties are lightly grazed by a pest, the plants respond by growing larger tubers, at times doubling their yields. Researchers see an opportunity and want to know more...

Chemicals in the leaves of potato plants, produced naturally by the plant, may hold the key to a new way to control Colorado potato beetles - a major pest for potato growers.

Uglies are ketttle cooked potato chips crafted by Dieffenbach from potatoes rejected for minor imperfections. This has saved more than 350,000 lbs of potatoes from going to waste since the launch a year ago.

This week more than 2,000 growers, suppliers, and experts will converge at the largest conference and trade show for the potato industry held in North America, Potato Expo 2018.

SNAXPO18, a leading trade show dedicated to the international snack industry, will take place March 12–14, 2018 in Atlanta, GA in a new updated format.

The Northwest Food Processors Association (NWFPA) has renamed itself Food Northwest, to better reflect the composition of its membership.

Taco Bell's most-anticipated menu item release of the year will be available crisped to perfection with bold Mexican seasoning and served with a dippable side of warm Nacho Cheese, beginning January 25 (United States).

An experimental 'golden' potato has the potential to provide as much as 42 percent of a child’s recommended daily intake of vitamin A and 34 percent of a child’s recommended intake of vitamin E, according to a study co-led at The Ohio State University.

Cargill introduces a new non-GMO high-oleic canola oil with a 35% lower saturated fat for foodservice. Herbicide tolerance (GMO) is available as an option (!!)

Hershey Co. is expanding further beyond chocolate, agreeing to buy the owner of SkinnyPop popcorn and Tyrrell’s potato chips for $921 million.