Lamb Weston Pours USD3.5m into Research

Lamb Weston is planning to invest an additional USD3.5m at its Richland campus to support research, reports Tri-City Herald. According to the information, construction of the new potato storage building connected to the search center should be finished this fall. Fisher Construction Group is said to be the contractor for the project.

The new campus will feature a product line in addition to research activities. In 2017, Lamb Weston made an USD200m investment to expand the Richland processing line. The capital injection doubled the plant’s ability to convert raw potatoes into frozen products, namely French fries, to 2m pounds per day, or 600m pounds per year.

Speaking of which, according to CNBC, the processed potato giant is working on optimizing its French fries. The company’s customers – which include McDonald’s and Yum Brands (owner of KFC) – are increasingly teaming up with on-demand delivery services. However, travel poses a problem for French fries, as they are squeezed next to cold drinks and warm burgers inside a paper bag.

While the company’s basic French fries will remain crunchy for about five minutes, the firm has recently unveiled a new variety with a special batter than can keep them crispy for close to an hour. The new method was developed at the company’s Richland laboratory.

In order to protect fries during delivery, the team also created a new type of packaging to keep out moisture while allowing for the right amount of ventilation. The system also includes guidance for customers on how best to prepare and package them.