New Global Potato Trade Standards Come into Effect

Draft quality standards for ware potatoes were approved and will apply to global trade in potatoes, reports Economic Times. The changes to the Codex Alimentarius Commission were made by India during a recent meeting in Mexico. The standard guidelines cover all the commercial varieties of potatoes, considering shape, skin color and flesh color.

The Codex Alimentarius Commission is an international food standards body established jointly by the Food and Agriculture Organization and the World Health Organization.

India’s Agriculture commissioner, SK Malhotra, who chaired the global working group for the development of the new potato standards, told the publication that the standard and quality guidelines will contribute to safety, quality and fairness in the international trade.

Further, he explained that the provisions concerning quality, sizing, minimum requirements and tolerances allowed in each class have been elaborated in the standards.

Globally, 380 million tons of potatoes are produced in more than 100 countries and 50% of this is consumed fresh, according to the report. The tuber is important for food security for millions of people across South America, Africa, Europe, and Asia.

India produced about 53 million tons of potato during 2018-19. The country exports around 350,000 tons of potatoes a year.