McCain Foods GB Adopts Restrain as CIPC Replacement

McCain Foods GB, the UK business of the world’s largest producer of frozen potato products, has been using ethylene for a few years and is now recommending Restrain ethylene generators to its potato growers in the UK as its preferred replacement, for the soon to be withdrawn CIPC. This makes McCain GB one of the first major potato processors to embrace ethylene as a replacement for CIPC.

CIPC has been the standard in the potato sector for decades, however, the sprout inhibitor has not had its approval renewed and will not be allowed in any member state of the European Union from this coming storage season. The final use date of CIPC is October 8, 2020, but many countries and parts of the supply chain are saying it should not be used on the 2020 crop.

In the UK, McCain is now opting for the anti-sprouting treatment Restrain, a residue-free, ethylene gas-based anti-sprouting system. Ethylene is a natural gas, which suppresses cell growth in potatoes. By dispersing ethylene to a precise protocol during the storage period, sprouting is reduced or prevented.

“At McCain, we’ve been closely following the development of Restrain and using it on commercial scale for a number of years. We have carried out multiple, comparative trials on the effectiveness of this sprout suppressant and tested how it affects the fry color of our potato varieties. Our trials have been successful so, in storage season 2019/20, all our medium to long term storage has been kept with ethylene and we are now encouraging our growers to use Restrain as a sprout suppressant”, says Jeff Beever, agronomist at McCain Foods (GB).

John Hutchison, sales and technical manager Restrain, explains: “Our method is suitable for all types of storage and falls in a similar price range as CIPC. It is also a natural method that leaves no residues, making it suitable for organic cultivation. The system is easy to use and tests have shown that whilst there is a small shift in fry color, with careful monitoring and control of CO2 levels it can be managed making it a cost effective choice for McCain and their potato growers”.