March 2020 - 28

2020 INDUSTRY NEWS UPDATES
Potato Expo 2020
largest event yet
More than 2,000 potato growers
and industry members from a dozen
countries turned out for Potato Expo
2020 at the Mirage Hotel and Casino
in Las Vegas to do business and prepare
their operations for the future.
Now in its 12th year, the annual
Potato Expo has become the largest
meeting of its kind in North America.
The Potato Expo 2020 broke previous
records with 2,019 attendees and 189
exhibitors covering more than 90,000
square feet in the Expo Hall.
" Though it started as a relatively
small gathering of folks 12 years ago, this
year's record breaking event is evidence
that Potato Expo has evolved to become
the place for North American potato
growers and value chain members to
come together, share ideas, and do
business, " said Potato Expo 2020 cochairs
Cully Easterday from Pasco,
Washington, and Dan Moss from
Declo, Idaho. " However, the Potato
Expo isn't about numbers - it's about
experiences. And this year we were
pleased to offer the industry some new,
unique opportunities to learn and grow
their businesses. "
For the first time, the 2020 Expo
Hall provided attendees with spaces
specifically dedicated to networking,
with five Meet-Up Lounges to have a
conversation and recharge, as well as
a coffee bar that was open throughout
the show. The Expo Hall also featured a
stage for " The Potato Talks, " a center of
activity featuring engaging discussions
and entertainment all centered around
potatoes and potato production.
Potato Expo serves as a forum to
foster collaboration between national
and state potato associations, as well
as the rest of the industry. Maintaining
its reputation as a place to help better
position the industry for the future,
the Potato Expo 2020 addressed many
pressing issues from evolving consumer
trends to disruptions in agribusiness.
Technology and digital expert Erik
Qualman discussed the habits that
effective leaders use to thrive in today's
digital
era.
Mike
Lee,
co-founder
and co-CEO of Alpha Food Labs and
founder of The Future Market, shared
his perspective on consumer behaviors
28
Spudman.com
Potato varieties on display at Solanum
International's booth during Potato Expo
2020. Photo: Zeke Jennings
that are shaping the future of food.
David Parker, executive vice president
of FLM Harvest, described current
agribusiness trends and disruptors,
and their implications on the future.
The National Potato Council, the
Potato Expo's
organizer,
used
the
event to announce the launch of its
new podcast, " Eye on Potatoes. " The
podcast, available on Apple Podcasts,
Spotify, and Google Podcasts, provides
a platform for growers throughout
the country and policy makers in
Washington to learn about the
industry policy
priorities and hear
from growers and experts on the latest
issues affecting the industry.
The event also served as platform
to announce the creation of a new
organization dedicated to growing
future leaders who grow potatoes. The
Potato Leadership, Education, and
Advancement Foundation (LEAF), a
501(c)3 organization, was launched by
the industry as a way to provide tools,
training, and support necessary to help
growers and industry members develop
as leaders. The Foundation also serves
to encourage members to commit their
time and energy to the betterment of
the U.S. potato industry as a whole.
More information
about
Potato
LEAF can be found at pleaf.org.
New Maine varieties show
less acrylamide when fried
French fries made with the new
potato varieties AF4296-3 and Easton
have much lower levels of a probable
carcinogen than those made with
Russet Burbanks, said Mary Ellen
Camire, a University of Maine professor
of food science and human nutrition.
Acrylamide is a probable carcinogen
in fried potatoes; during the frying
process the chemical forms from
sugars and an amino acid that are
naturally in potatoes.
But for those envisioning the saferto-eat,
golden brown, crispy-on-theoutside,
soft-on-the-inside fries with
a sprinkle of sea salt and a splash of
vinegar, hold that thought.
The new spud varieties don't turn
golden brown when they're fried. They
turn whitish.
Camire says they still have the crispy
texture, familiar flavor and smell of
freshly cooked french fries.
Forty-seven tater taste-testers
testified to that - rating the aroma,
taste and texture of fries made with
AF4296-3 and Easton potato varieties
similar to Russet Burbank.
But they rated the whitish color of
the new varieties significantly lower.
Camire says an education or
promotion campaign is likely needed
to let the public know about the merits
of the less-than-golden fry.
" Acrylamide is found in many
foods that are baked, roasted or fried,
but since frying is the most popular
method for cooking potatoes, we
wanted consumers to have a safer
alternative developed by traditional
breeding practices, " she said.
" It took years to convince consumers
to switch from whole milk to low-fat
or skim milk; hopefully changing
consumer acceptance of these fries
will not take as long. "
Camire conducted the pilot
study with colleagues Aaron Johnson,
a former UMaine graduate student
and now a senior sensory scientist at
ConAgra Brands, and Gregory Porter,
who heads the UMaine potato breeding
and variety development program.
Their goal was to reduce the
potential development of acrylamide
in fried potatoes. During the study,
the scientists also learned that the
amount of fertilizer applied to the
potatoes had little effect on people's
fondness for the fries.
The study was conducted as part
of a U.S. Department of Agriculture
National Institute of Food and
Agriculture award of $7.8 million
to a consortium that included the
University of Wisconsin, UMaine, and
http://www.pleaf.org http://www.Spudman.com
March 2020

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of March 2020
