This week, there has been a lot of hue and cry following the announcement by American food chain Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC), that they had run out of potatoes. Today, I will weigh in on the issue. Yes, there is an opportunity for potato farmers to supply produce to big brands like KFC. But first, they must meet tight quality standards established by the global food system. I will shed more light on this.
Tuber quality
Tuber quality in terms of appearance and cooking is crucial to KFC. These attributes depend on the variety choice and how the potato is grown. Tubers need to be consistent in shape and size (45-85mm) for the fresh market, with good skins free of any disease or blemish. Dry matter (DM) content is also crucial because tubers with a DM above 18-20 per cent are more susceptible to bruising and may disintegrate during cooking. KFC needs evenly shaped potatoes of a standard size and quality from one end of the tuber for processing. Potatoes with high DM content are crucial to good fry colour for French fries and crisps. Processors use standard colour charts to achieve consistent fry colour. In the past, contracts have stated that 18 per cent DM is the minimum. However, industry standards now seek potatoes with up to 20-25 per cent DM.
To avoid browning of French fries and crisps during cooking, the tubers should have low reducing sugars. Specification levels or ranges for reducing sugars are given to farmers before planting. Processors usually apply contract penalties for losses due to blemishes, bruising, pest damage, greening, growth cracks, etc. A standard contract will specify a maximum of five per cent out grade potatoes by weight that is, 5kg per 100kg.
Variety is essential
Variety is essential, and potatoes with greater than 13 per cent starch content are required in Europe. The higher the starch content, the lower the waste. Potato tubers contain a large range of starch granule sizes (10-100 mm versus 5-40 mm for cereals) and high phosphate content. The starch quality influences the final paste properties, especially its viscosity. Crop yields and quality depend greatly upon the health status of the seed. So that growers can be sure of the quality of the seed bought, some countries have seed production controlled by “Seed Classification Schemes.” Potatoes grown for seed should consist of a uniform grade of small, well-formed tubers - usually, 30-55mm diameter size range. Where cut seed pieces are used, apply fungicides to reduce disease risk.
Lessons from Egypt
Egyptian potatoes are well-known for their good quality because they are grown in clay or sandy soil. Also, Egyptian potatoes are preferred for their long shelf life due to the appropriate level of solidity and sugar. The European market has stringent regulations related to chemicals on food-related products. The potatoes from Egypt conform to these strict regulations through the use of bio-pesticides. To be competitive in the global marketplace, Egyptian exporters and farmers have access to the best modern technologies and input products – especially as far as bio/natural farming practices are concerned. The bio crop protection products will play a significant role in developing the Egyptian potato industry.
In Egypt, for example, the area under cultivation is about 212,000 acres producing about 2.2 million tonnes, with an average of 10.5 tonnes per acre. All the production chain aspects are integrated to optimise potato productivity and quality. These aspects include potato seed quality, soil quality, irrigation management, fertilisation techniques, forecasting of pests and diseases, and determination of proper planting dates.
Egypt achieved positive results in improving quality seed potato by implementing the regulations of Centre Administration for Seeds Testing and certification phytosanitary authority, and the project of elimination of brown rot disease.
The following steps are followed to produce certified seeds in Egypt. First is the use of basic potato seeds (class SE or E) imported from EU countries according to national standards and regulations for imported potato seed. Second, the imported must be registered in Egypt to ensure productivity and quality under Egyptian conditions. Third, the cultivated farm must be certified as a pest-free area from brown rot disease. Forth, the farm should not be less than five acres. Fifth, a triple rotation should be implemented in the cultivated farm. Finally, during all the stages of the crop, the field is under the full supervision of CASC inspectors to ensure that the crops are cultivated according to the seed potato production conditions and Egyptian standards. All technical official forms are done according to the procedures and administrative modalities established by the CASC.
