News on Energy and Environment from Europe

Potato chips manufacturer Walkers - a subsidiary of Pepsico - starts a recycling effort for potato chips bags in the United Kingdom after consumer protests.

NewCold has unveiled its newly-completed expanded deep frozen storage and distribution centre which, says the company, is now the largest of its kind in the United Kingdom.

Customers of McDonald's in Europe might find that their favorite fries are shorter than usual. Blame the weather: smaller potatoes result in shorter fries.

British potato chip maker Walkers is being inundated with mail deliveries of its own packaging. Empty bags are mailed to Walkers to hold the company accountable for its packaging waste and to pressure the company to come up with a better design.

Dutch potato starch manufacterer Avebe has announced that the advance payment for potatoes delivered is being increased to 67 euros a tonne and that the full result of the cooperative will go to the members.

Brent Bucks of knife manufacturer FAM explains how potato chips processors can increase revenues despite the low quality crop

The heatwave in Germany is also affecting the harvest of potato varieties needed to make potato chips. Due to the extraordinary weather conditions, the potato chips will be smaller this year.

The Emsland Group, a potato processor with seven production plants throughout Germany, explains the supply challenges they are faced with as a result of the extreme drought in Germany and other parts of Europe.

Some 20 specialist exhibitors will show practical solutions for organic potato cultivation at Potato Europe 2018 exhibition – Demonstrations of mechanical weed control to feature at the event this year

The warm and dry weather of recent months has caused a commotion in the potato sector in Northern Europe. This is why representatives of both the Dutch and Belgian potato sectors came together to discuss the situation and to voice their concerns.

The North-Western European Potato Growers (NEPG) conclude that the potato production this year in North-Western Europe will be much lower than average and that quality issues will be a main challenge.

Research at the James Hutton Institute has identified genetic variations which can help protect potato crop yields at high temperature, potentially providing potato breeders with a valuable tool in their quest to create varieties resilient to heat stress

The extreme heat and drought is a disaster for the upcoming potato harvest. And for processors too: in Belgium, potato chips manufacturer Roger&Roger (Croky) temporarily halts production of some its flavours to manage the lack of potato supply.

The Potato Processing companies in the United Kingdom have released a statement through the Potato Processors’ Association Ltd (PPA), expressing their concern for the impact of current weather conditions on UK potato processing sector.

The total area in Great Britain planted with potatoes is estimated at 119,000 hectares(ha), a fall of three per cent on the previous year. This would represent the third-lowest planted area on record, with an agricultural drought likely to affect yields.

The German Association of Fruit, Vegetables and Potato Processing Industry (BOGK) expects that the potato harvest in Germany and Europe will be significantly reduced in quantity, as well as quality compared to the previous year due to the long ongoing drought and heat wave.

Total potato production in North-western Europe will be mostly determined by yield, as extreme drought plagues the crop, growing on a one percent larger acreage

A recent study on the impact of Pulsed Electric Field treatment (PEF) in the potato processing industry has shown substantial benefits in comparison to the regular process using conventional pre-heaters.