食品趋势 来自大洋洲

The impact of drought and water quality on Australian potatoes could be significantly reduced by a new research project from Potatoes South Australia and Landmark Australia.

University of Canterbury researchers have developed potato plants that are potentially resistant to cadmium, a highly toxic metal found in soil which is harmful to crops and can contribute to health issues in humans. End goal is to develop cadmium free potatoes.

Potatoes are becoming more appealing to Australia’s innovative home chefs ('Eager Explorers') who are searching for the next exciting food trend, according to new consumer research.

UK chip brand, Tyrrells Potato Crisps Ltd, has acquired the Australian company Yarra Valley Snack Foods, producer of the Thomas Chipman Organic Chips range.

Fresh potatoes from New Zealand have been approved for export to Vietnam, providing a new export opportunity for growers.

Consumer research in Australia, Potato Tracker, has shown that Australian consumers prefer to purchase pre-packaged potatoes, with one to two kilogram packages as the ideal sizes.

Potatoes New Zealand chief executive Champak Mehta says the industry now has the potato psyllid well under control thanks to the knowledge gained through research.

The South Australian Potato Industry has received funding of $100,000 to enable a project to add value to potatoes which are graded-out due to size or shape and do not meet supermarket specifications.

It appears that many Australians don’t know their King Edwards from their Kennebecs, with the latest wave of the Potato Tracker consumer research project indicating that some people can’t name a single variety of potato, despite being the most commonly purchased vegetable commodity.

Bluebird Foods (New Zealand) is recalling batches of its bags of potato chips after finding some may contain plastic pieces.

A Tasmanian potato grower - known for her innovative use of the vegetable - has been announced as a keynote speaker at this year's National Horticulture Convention in Queensland, later this month.

The Premier of Western Australia, Colin Bartlett, reportedly told The West Australian that it was time for rules that dictated the varieties, quantities and price of potatoes grown in Western Australia - and the Potato Marketing Corporation - to go.

Potatoes New Zealand Inc. has won funding from the Ministry of Primary Industries for a major research project aimed at improving crop yield, more specifically, the impact of crop rotations on soil borne diseases and soil quality.

During a quarantine survey on Norfolk Island, a small island between New Zealand and Australia, both the tomato-potato psyllid (Bactericera cockerelli) as well as the zebra chip causing bacterium Ca. Liberibacter solanacearum (Lso) have been detected.

The Potato Marketing Corporation of Western Australia has announced plans to take legal action against Galati, who owns a chain of grocery stores called the Spudshed as well as being one of the state’s largest growers.

Almost 70 new varieties of potato and sweet potato will soon be available to Pacific Island countries and territories, to improve food security across the region.

AUSVEG has welcomed the signing of a work and holiday Memorandum of Understanding between the Australian and Vietnamese governments, which could assist Australian vegetable and potato growers fill labour shortages during peak harvesting times.

AUSVEG remains wholly unconvinced of the benefits of a grower-funded generic potato marketing campaign despite claims from the Potato Marketing Corporation of Western Australia that the initiative has been a success in that state.