News on Food Trends from Europe

Iceland, known for its resilient farming systems and limited but high-quality agricultural output, faced a historic setback in 2024. According to Statistics Iceland, the nation harvested just 5,514 tons of potatoes, down 24.5% from 7,298 tons in 2023.

IFCG-Egypt, a prominent player in the frozen food industry, will participate in two of Europe's most prestigious international food trade shows in 2025.

The 2025 Hutchinsons Potato Trials Results Day at Worth Farms, Lincolnshire, showcased key field trials and research to help tackle major potato industry challenges, including PCN, herbicide safety, wireworm, catch crops, blight, and Alternaria.

Fedepom and Europatat have unveiled the final program and speaker lineup for the Europatat Congress 2025, set for 11–13 June at Hôtel Barrière in Lille, France, under the theme 'Potato leaders of the future: deciding under uncertainty.'

Fera Science’s Enigma I project is advancing to its second phase, focusing on sustainable wireworm control. Agri-food organizations are invited to join as co-funding partners for tailored research and practical solutions.

The FAO Food Price Index* (FFPI) averaged 127.1 points in March 2025. Declines in cereals and sugar price indices offset increases in those of meat and vegetable oils, while the dairy price index remained stable.

Emerald Research Ltd (ERL) and a leading potato grower in South West England have won an eighteen-month Innovate UK project to tackle the ever-growing problem of wireworm damage in potatoes.

Swiss technology group Bühler has acquired advanced puffing technology from Cerex to enhance its offerings for food, petfood, and feed applications. The acquisition, announced on 16 January, 2025.

The Fresh Potato Suppliers Association (FPSA) was established in 2009 to represent the fresh sector of the potato industry bringing together fresh packers and suppliers to retail.

Greenvale’s Golden Kings launched ‘Move Over Maris’ with Great British Chefs to promote climate-friendly, high-yielding potatoes needing less irrigation and pest control, urging consumers to switch varieties.

Kiremko, in partnership with REYCO, presents the CORDA Invicta Fryer with integrated EcoMiser—combining superior efficiency, hygiene, and performance with advanced oil recovery and optimized energy use for reliable, state-of-the-art frying technology.

Subway® is trialling a new range of freshly made, hot, fluffy, jacket potatoes in select restaurants across the UK. Over the past few years, the jacket potato, a warm and comforting classic, has undergone a renaissance and recently found fame on social media

Potato growers now have a more reliable overview of their spray maps for fungicide, fertilizers and product growth regulators – even when conventional satellite images fail due to cloud cover.

Las condiciones para la siembra son auspiciosas y la cadena de suministro de patatas de siembra se anticipa menos congestionada que la campaña anterior.

Lamb Weston launches Frenzy Fries, a unique 3-sided, skin-on fry designed to enhance sensory dining experiences and help UK foodservice operators stand out. With a 20-minute hold time and extra crispy texture, they offer innovation, quality, and reduced waste.

Case IH will be the exclusive tractor sponsor at PotatoEurope 2025 on 3-4 September in Lelystad. With 17 years of partnership, it remains a key player in the potato sector. This year, the focus will be on live demos and FieldOps™ telematics solutions.

At KMC, sustainability is a core focus, and the potato plays a key role in a green transition. In this feature, Irene Kjærskov Pedersen, Head of Sustainability at KMC, explains how life-cycle assessments (LCAs) are used to reduce environmental impacts.

Spudmania shows no signs of abating and singing stars and crowds in the Spudarmy continue to flock to the centre of Tamworth to sample Ben Newman's humble jacket potatoes.