Canned potato production

Canned potato production constitutes just a small part of the overall market for processed potatoes. Production of chilled-peeled potatoes became established in Europe during 1995-2005 to supply a growing demand by restaurants, takeaways and the catering business. 

Nowadays potato is one of the major food crops in the world. Heavy yields can be grown relatively cheaply in a wide variety of soils and climates, and potatoes are one of the mainstays in the diet of people in many parts of the world. In 2005 total EU 25 (Europe of the 25) potato production reached 58 848 0731, with yields of 29.2 t/ha and a cultivation area of 1 985 358 ha (British Potato Council, 2007). Thus, potato processing and potato products are popular and acceptable throughout Europe. Figure 7.1 shows the 2005 production and external trade in processed potatoes for the European Union (25 countries). The main item is frozen potatoes, including prefried, at 3 414 9311, followed by potatoes prepared or preserved as potato chips or crisps, 1 647 9501 dried potatoes in the form of flour, meal, flakes, granules, and flakes, 280 3771 potatoes prepared or preserved in the form of flour, meal, or flakes (excluding frozen, dried, crisps), 207 0371 and 18 9861 of dried potatoes not further prepared (Eurostat, 2005). Frozen potato products account for more than 61% of all potatoes that are processed, crisps for... 

Looking back also over the historical development of quality requirements for processed foods, freezing when properly carried out is undoubtedly the most satisfactory method for the longterm preservation of vegetable produce. The low temperatures commonly prescribed for frozen foods (—18°C) can maintain initial quality and nutritional value practically unchanged, so that frozen and fresh vegetable products differ only in texture (Canet, 1989), which is however a particularly important quality attribute in potato products. 

In frozen vegetables, health quality, nutritional quality, and aspects of sensory quality like color and texture can be objectively assessed and controlled also, in frozen potato products the effects of the thermal treatments included in the process have to be assessed due to their influence on texture, color, and nutritional value. However, in the case of overall assessment of sensory quality, only the consumer can perceive and process the overall blend of sensations that denote quality and cause consumers to prefer, accept, or reject a product. 

A more detailed discussion of potato tuber quality can be found in Chapter 16 of the book Potato Production Systems (Stark and Love, 2003b). 

Texture is a key component of the quality and palatability of potato products. Texture is generally quantified by measuring the resistance of a product to an applied force. A number of different rheological parameters can be used to evaluate a range of tuber characteristics such as firmness, hardness, softness, adhesiveness, fracturability, etc. There is a considerable amount... 

Gould, W. A. (1999e). Appendix 3 USA Standards for Grades of canned white potatoes. In W. A. Gould (Ed.), Potato Production, Processing and Technology (pp. 199-215). CTT Publications, Inc, Timonium, Maryland, USA. 

Potatoes contain a small amount of lipid, comprising approximately 0.1% of the fresh weight of the tuber (Galliard, 1973). Despite the minute quantity, lipids play an important role in the stability of processed potato products, since lipid degradation can lead to off-flavors and rancidity. 

SC, sulfite, bisulfite, metabisulfite), which inhibit PPO and may combine with quinones or reduce quinones to phenols, thereby preventing pigment formation (4, 9-10). Sulfites can produce acute allergic reactions in some asthmatics, however, with serious if not lethal consequences (11-12). Therefore, the Food and Drug Administration has banned the use of sulfites in fruits and vegetables served or sold raw to consumers (13) and has proposed restrictions on the use of sulfites in certain fresh potato products (14). 

The penetration of heat in the can is dependent almost wholly upon the ease with which convection currents are set up, occurring most rapidly in products which permit the free circulation of water, weak brine, or sirup between the solids, as in peas, and least rapidly in the absence of free liquid, as in dry-packed sweet potatoes. Products... 

Over the last decade or more, sweet potato production has increased in Uganda while the decline in cassava production has allowed the crop to play a role in food security. However, the sweet potato has the potential to play a much more substantial role in the Ugandan food system. Further fundamental research is needed to upgrade the quality of sweet potato production, processing and product development, and identify ways to effectively educate Ugandans regarding exploitation of the nutritional benefits of the sweet potato, and how it can play a role in eradicating VAD and food insecurity. 

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