News
EPA reconsiders Worker Protection Standard provisions
In mid-December, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced it will reconsider certain provisions of the Worker Protection Standard (WPS). This rulemaking has been in the implementation process for several years and was initiated under the... more
Washington state adopts pesticide safety rules in new year
New rules for using pesticides, modeled after federal worker protection standards, will take effect in Washington on Jan. 13. Washing State Department of Agriculture (WSDA) Director Derek Sandison signed the rules in December. They will bring state r... more
Perdue points out potato accomplishments as year comes to close
On Dec. 21, Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue released a year-end recap of the USDA’s 2017 achievements and potatoes were high on the list. The secretary called out the reentry of U.S. chipping potatoes from Idaho into Japan as one of USDA "si... more
Lamb Weston invests $250 million in new fry line
Lamb Weston Holdings is growing its french fry processing capacity in North America. The company said it will expand operations at its Hermiston, Oregon, processing facility with the construction of a 300 million pound-per-year french fry line. Th... more
South Korea re-opens market to US table stock
Earlier in December, 2017, the South Korean government announced the reopening of its market for table stock potatoes from the Pacific Northwest states of Idaho, Oregon and Washington. The market had been closed since July 2012 over technical concern... more
New executives elected for PEI Potato Board
The Prince Edward Island Potato Board has elected a new chairman at its December Board of Directors meeting. The new chairman of the board is Darryl Wallace of Cascumpec, who owns and operates Wallace Family Farms. The new vice-chairman of the boa... more
Campbell Soup buying snack company for nearly $5 billion
Multiple media outlets have reported that Campbell’s Soup is acquiring snack food maker Snyder's-Lance, which owns brands such as Diamond Foods and Pop Secret popcorn. The deal, which CNBC reports is valued at $50 a share, will total $4.89 billi... more
US potato exports rebounded in October
U.S. potato and product exports all posted positive growth in October 2017 compared to 2016 according to Potatoes USA. Frozen exports led the way with a 10-percent increase in volume and a 11-percent bump in value at $106 million. Exports of dehydrat... more
Key Technology introduces VERYX B210 Digital Sorter
With its new VERYX B210, Key Technology said it has introduced the highest capacity digital sorter in the food processing industry, with an inspection area over 2 meters (80 inches) wide. Featuring a 2,100-millimeter wide inspection zone, VERYX B... more
TOMRA names regional sales director for the Americas
TOMRA Sorting Food has hired Mark Host as the company’s sales director for the Americas. In his new position, Host, 43, will oversee TOMRA’s expansion throughout the Americas, including in Latin America where there is tremendous growth in frui... more
