French Fries, Baby and Yellow Potatoes Offer New Opportunities for US Industry

The fast-changing world of food service on the North American continent offers enormous opportunities for the potato sector. According to HZPC specialist Paul Oomen, the potato industry is keen to quickly pick up trends and respond to them.

In the US, Oomen registered a number of opportunities. “The frying of French fries, directly from fresh potatoes, is a craze in supermarkets and restaurants. So there is now a great need for potatoes to peel, cut and fry freely on the spot,” Oomen says. So the potato industry must supply and develop varieties that are suitable for this application.

The HZPC expert also reports increased demand for creamers or baby potatoes. They tie in with the trend of convenient, tasty food. What’s more, Americans are starting to consume more yellow fresh varieties, like for example the Colomba variety.

HZPC along with its growers are responding to the new demands on the market: “We want potatoes to be able to compete with pasta and rice. This is possible if we are constantly able to offer potato verities and products that meet the wishes of the consumer,” reveals Oomen.