A blog for the potato processing community

The Spud Diet

2010-12-21T15:32:00.000-08:00

Not really... just an interesting tidbit that has been circulating for the last few weeks. Take a peek at http://www.potatopro.com/Lists/News/DispForm.aspx?ID=4688&utm_source=PotatoPro&utm_campaign=13597afdc9-RSS_EMAIL_CAMPAIGN&utm_medium=email

Seems that the executive director of the Washington State Potat0 Commission went taters up, and ate only spuds for 60 days.

He survived.

Thrived, even.

Like he says, probably not the next fad diet... but be sure to contradict others (e.g., a here-unnamed First Lady) who seem to think that potatoes are fundamentally unhealthy.

NOT!

(Back in the saddle, folks- I'll post more often... starting next year)

Tim

Comment on June 30, 2008 Entry

2010-03-02T00:15:00.000-08:00

Take a peek at the comment left by "Anonymous" on my June 30, 2008 blog entry. http://potatoprocessing.key.net/2008/06/gmo-wars.html

As you can see from my blog header, I encourage comments and discussion on the part of everyone, especially those who disagree. Problem is, in this case, there was no supporting evidence given regarding GMO potatoes. Anyone out there, if you have some reference material, please shed some light, and I will get on board... if the evidence is sufficient.

I have read the news about the GMO maize apparently causing serious health problems in rats. All the articles that I found (after an admittedly cursory search) were performed and published by organizations that would tend toward bias, and they are contradicted (of course) by Monsanto, who also could be viewed as biased. I look forward to independent peer review of the process and data found, by neutral scientists. It will also be telling to hear the position of the governmental agencies who approved the GMO maize as safe. Until I hear from someone unbiased, I will take the news with several grains of salt, as any reasonable person will do.

A balanced report can be found at http://www.csa.com/discoveryguides/gmfood/overview.php

"Self-righteous"? Read the words, and judge for yourselves. I am for open, scientific, un-biased pursuit of truth. I am against illegal acts like trespassing and destruction of others' property.

Let's all look to finding the facts, and then decide what is the best course.

If you have more detail, "Anonymous", please fill us in!

He's Baaaaaack! (with comments on Japan)

2009-11-19T18:54:00.000-08:00

Back from my hiatus!
After taking a long break from blogging, I’m back at it. My summer was filled with chasing my daughter’s travelling softball team, flying the Bellanca all over, taking a brief vacation in Nevada. Then came fall- my work schedule went crazy busy, and more softball trips to boot. I am ready to get back to business as usual… will someone please tell me how to get back there?
By the way, if you wish to follow me on Twitter, my username is TimReardonWW.
I just spent a couple of days touring some potato processing plants in Japan. I am ashamed to admit that I have not done so before. The difference between Japanese plants and the rest of the world is striking, in one primary facet: focus on product quality.
In Japan, any product discoloration at all is considered unacceptable. So they use lots of automation and even more (expensive) labor to get practically every defect out of their potato products. All that machinery and labor costs a lot, and the product that is removed represents quite a bit of yield cost as well. But they seem to be willing to pay the price for what their culture demands.
One other difference I saw was something I think the rest of the industry would do well to imitate: extreme attention to detail regarding hygiene and the presence of humans in the plants. Most every plant I visited required the following to enter their production areas:
· Head-to-foot “bunny suits” with elastic cuffs, full head covering (no bump cap!), with mask.
· Special shoes to be used only in the production area (no steel toes!)
· Lint removal of all clothing, even though the bunny suits seem lint-free
· Air showers
· Of course, hand-washing and sanitization
As I have mentioned elsewhere, I expect the food industry to move toward the kind of sanitation control you see in the semiconductor and pharmaceutical industries. I think we put too much stock in the kill step of frying. Product is commonly exposed to humans after that, and such exposure will be subject to scrutiny regarding potential sources of pathological contamination.
More comments on Japan next time.
Tim

International Potato Processing and Storage Convention

2009-06-26T06:10:00.000-07:00

For all you folks who missed it, I thought I should take some notes about the convention that was completed yesterday evening.

Once again, David Brenchley coordinated a very nice venue. And Charlottetown brought some gorgeous weather. A very pleasant week in a pleasant environment.

Notable amongst the presenters: Kathy Swords (of JR Simplot) gave a presentation on "Intragenetics", a GM method that does not cross species' boundaries, and so might be viewed as more natural, actually on the order of controlled cross-breeding, in terms of social perceptions. Apparently, by using methods within this realm, potatoes can be made to produce less of both halves of the acrylamide formation reaction: asparagine and sugar. At the same time, they can be made to have better texture and flavor characteristics, less susceptibility to sugar/glassy end formation and to carry a significant amount of campherol, an antioxidant normally found in kale, Swiss chard and Chinese cabbage.

All of which adds up to a healthier potato product. Wow.

That was not the only strong presentation. There were several others that made the conference worthwhile.

But the most valuable facet of this series of conventions that I have found is the community. There are a core of people who come to these functions, come hell or high water. Steve Johnson (U of Maine). David Hollier (UK consultant). Paul van Eijck (Food Innovation Online). Derk Somsen (Aviko). These folks live and breathe potatoes, and come for the value of the exchange of ideas that happens continually through this kind of function. I would be honored to be considered one of them, as I continue to attend these conferences.

To the vendors who come to these functions and make presentations simply to peddle wares: either become a value-adding member of this community, or please stay home. We can get your sales pitch on the Internet or by inviting you to come visit us separately. This conference is about exchange of ideas, not selling stuff.

To the processors who did not attend: I encourage you, especially you technical leaders, to come to one of these (Scotland, in late May of next year), just to listen. Have a chat over drinks or a meal. Think outside the box. You can keep your secrets with you, you will be surprised at what you will learn.

Tim

Lasers and Foreign Materials

2009-06-13T21:04:00.000-07:00

I have been hearing more and more about foreign material (FM) removal systems being placed into potato applications. Primarily in whole potato applications (typically downstream of peeling) but also some finished product units, particularly frozen, just before packaging.

I am hearing that people are installing some systems that do not use laser.

WHAT!!!????!!!!!

These are systems that use various sensors to detect light wavelengths in the near IR. Kind of like what Key did with Vis/IR cameras for FM before we developed the first flying spot laser with less than 0.6mm spot size. And the first digital laser of any spot size. Infrared is good enough, they say, and less expensive.

Less expensive, sure, until you find you need laser anyway.

You see, foreign material removal is not really something that you justify with ROI. It is catastrophic event-based. Foreign material gets into consumer product, and once in a while, all hell breaks loose. Recalls costing millions. Lawsuits costing more. And in the end, people lose their jobs for the decisions they make.

How do you put an ROI on that?

Sure, some measure the rate of customer complaints, and the cost of dealing with them, on a monthly or annualized basis. They pencil out a number that they spend per period, and try to justify their purchase by the amount of reduction of that cost. As if FM events and their effects come at a predictable rate! They are totally missing the point. "Good enough" is really not.

People who say that lasers are not necessary usually don't have a laser to sell, they are simply selling what they have. Listen at your own peril.

If you are making the equipment decision and justification for foreign material removal, what technology do you put your own personal reputation on? Just IR? Or laser plus IR plus other camera wavelengths in a total solution? I wrote last year about FM and lasers (http://potatoprocessing.key.net/2008/05/lasers-basics.html, http://potatoprocessing.key.net/2008/06/how-laser-sorters-work.html and http://potatoprocessing.key.net/2008/06/lasers-or-cameras-or-both.html.

Understand that IR (especially SWIR, using an InGasAs sensor) detects water content, and so can remove foreign materials that include little or no water. You might be surprised at how many materials include enough water to be missed by such a device.

Come to the PPI convention on the 25th and I will fill you in on more details.

Read, learn, and choose laser plus cameras for FM control. After all, it is your career.

Potato Processing and Storage Convention

2009-06-05T14:14:00.000-07:00

Once again, I encourage you to attend this years' Potato Processing and Storage Convention June 23-25 in Charlottetown PEI, Canada (http://www.potatoconvention.com/).

Especially in a down economy, when most of us are particularly pressed to find ways to make our companies more money, it is important to have some time set aside. Time to mix with professionals in our industry, but not from within your specific company. Time to think and discuss new ways of doing things. Time to open our minds to new ideas, different perspectives.

The people who attend this kind of convention during tough economic times ultimately set themselves above and apart from the "quadrant 1" crowd, those who can focus only on that which is urgent. Rather, these are the ones who synthesize new ideas. These are the ones who are driving the potato industry ahead to continually improve our products and profitability.

I will be giving a presentation on foreign material control. Not that it is a new topic; but new technologies continue to arise and become practical and necessary under the changing conditions of the market. People who buy and eat potato products do not want other items included in the offering! And we have known for a long time that there is room for improvement in our deliverables, and this is the time to consider what we owe ourselves and our customers.

There are other benefits to foreign material control besides consumer issues. We will address each one. But expect to hear something a bit different, a bit more than what you have heard before.

That is what I do, when I come to this convention: I bring new ideas. I trust many others will do the same, and we will all be the richer in the exchange.

See YOU there!

Tim

Last Month of the Season

2009-05-22T14:21:00.001-07:00

We are headed down home stretch.

Storage season (northern hemisphere- apologies to those of you in Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and other southern points) is drawing to a close, 30-60 days of processing are left for most plants. Defects are getting worse, lots of rot. Retaining workers is a sore issue. Life in the potato lane!

We have seen lots of change since the new crop started coming in. The economy was growing with no end in sight then; just a few weeks later- BOOM, the market is in free-fall, salaries, jobs and benefits are being cut, it is a whole new landscape.

The restaurant market slowed, retail expanded. People are eating at home more. No big surprise.

Then the dollar weakens. Production is shifted from the US to other countries. Canada, EU. Australia gets hit by reduced overall demand. Potato blight breaks into Ireland, zebra chips down under.

But, through it all, there is no real cliff to fall from. Because we are talking about potatoes. Tasty, low-cost nutrition. People eat them and always will. Sometimes one segment or the other tweaks up or down. But we work in a relatively stable industry, one that others would envy. You don't want to be working in autos today. Or the computer chip industry. We are on solid ground.

The Economy, Revisited

2009-05-08T13:49:00.001-07:00

Folks, I must say, the economy seems to be affecting our industry more than I expected 6 months ago.

We are definitely seeing a slowdown. Production is down a bit in many regions, varying from practically flat to an 8% or so drop. Simplot has reported they cannot process all the potatoes their Tasmanian growers produce. We are seeing many projects get delayed by 6-12 months, plus a few are getting cancelled. Processors are looking to invest only in those projects with the very highest returns; the threshold has been raised, and fewer projects are making the cut.

Further confusing things is the strengthening of the US dollar: This makes production relatively more expensive in the US, which in turn shifts production to other countries, particularly Canada. So those companies who were considering US capacity expansion two years ago are now using up excess capacity in Canada. Not the best thing for us in the equipment business.

What is Key doing about this?

First, we firmly believe that recovery from this downturn is in the not-too-distant future. At that point, we expect processors will need to invest in areas that have been deferred for the last year or so. So we expect a bit of a spending flurry for several months after the recovery.

Second, because we expect the recovery and the flurry, we are investing now in new product development. We are definitely not "hunkering down" to try to simply survive this period. We want to emerge from it on a ramp of business, and so are developing new solutions to serve our clients better. You have seen recently our announcements of a wide chip/crisp sorting system and a whole potato sorting system. Expect other announcements for new products on a fairly regular basis over the next several months.

Tim

A Word on Whole Potato Sorting

2009-05-01T07:30:00.000-07:00

With the recent press release and emailing to many of you (http://www.key.net/about/news/optyx-wps/default.html), a few comments are in order:

To get to the details, click on the above link, and then click on the "Optyx WPS for Whole Potatoes" link on the page. It will take you to our brochure and a video clip that shows the concept. We think it will be quite a bit different from what you have seen before in whole potato sorting, in several ways:

Minimal product drop. Most whole potato systems drop the potato about a meter or more, this one less than half that. Avoiding such elevation drops will help with many line layouts, preventing the need for a downstream elevation step.

Gentle product handling. The minimal drop, along with the gentle deflector action enable this. Many applications need very gentle product handling to avoid later discoloration.

Laser identification of foreign materials. Laser has been proven to do this extremely well in many applications, but has not yet been applied to whole potato 3-way sorting. Now the power of laser is combined with high resolution cameras to identify practically everything that is not a potato, and remove it.

Air ejection of foreign materials. Most other systems use mechanical paddles. They work well, as long as the foreign material falls like a potato- same trajectory and speed. Problem is, foreign materials are not potatoes (by definition), and so many categories do not fall like potatoes. Think about plastic films and worker's gloves. The Optyx system sends an air blast just a few millimeters after the laser identifies the object. Point blank, it can't miss. Check out the video- seeing is believing.

Ant the end of the discussion, I am excited about what we are bringing to the industry. No more same ole, same ole. If you are serious about foreign material removal, take a close look at our system, and come to the Potato Convention (http://www.potatoconvention.com/)- I will give a presentation on foreign material control that might be of interest.

Tim

More and More on Acrylamide

2009-04-29T10:55:00.000-07:00

Folks, this just keeps going on and on. Check out http://www.foodnavigator-usa.com/Publications/Food-Beverage-Nutrition/FoodNavigator.com/Science-Nutrition/Dietary-acrylamide-not-linked-to-lung-cancer-risk-Study/?c=%2BlZ8zGql8moeqNT7u5MAZg%3D%3D&utm_source=newsletter_daily&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Newsletter%2BDaily

Now, no one in their right mind would buy into the notion that acrylamides prevent lung cancer in women. But it seems clear that there is no harmful effect for any one. Tie this tidbit together with all the recent studies that fail to show a link between acrylamides and cancer in actual humans. It seems that the data are converging on a conclusion: there is no such link, given normal human exposure levels. Now, that cannot yet be a firm conclusion, but it certainly appears to be where the tracks are heading.

How much science was actually performed to form the basis for California's actions against Pepsico and others of a year or so ago? Who determined that 270 ppm was a safe level of acrylamide, but 271ppm is dangerous? As I mentioned a few months ago, I do not personally shrink from hard facts, but I am not a believer in throwing lots and lots of money at perceptions that are not based on fact.

It seems that we need to consider a more sane approach!

Tim

Comment back to "foodman"

2009-04-24T13:15:00.000-07:00

Take a look at the comment attached to my March 26 posting. "Foodman" sounds like he is skeptical that the food processing industry is really as green as I make it sound. I thought his comments worthy of a response y'all can see.

I think foodman makes a fair point. Food processing takes quite a bit of energy, starting at the farm, through raw transport, storage, cooking/blanching/drying/frying freezing, etc, transport of finished good, etc. Lots and lots of energy. And, let's be honest, quite a bit of waste, in many forms. Waste of raw product, waste of energy (vs. use of technologies that could conserve), waste of labor, waste of finished product, waste of water.

But my basic response is that there is a broad continuum of conservation vs. waste that I see in the processed potato industry. One one end, I see McCain building wind turbines and waste processing facilities to recover power. And I see Pepsico with their "new" Casa Grande plant, that is essentially power-neutral, from what I hear. On the other ends, as I walk around the factories in the potato industry, I see lots of spillage and piles of raw and semi-finished product on the floor, lots of steam going out stacks, lots of water dripping everywhere.

Even here at Key, our solutions include features that greatly reduce energy consumption (e.g., our new cameras and LED lights), while we have some equipment that continues to drip.

The point is, we all start the conversion to green from where we are and continually make progress. There is no point to which we arrive and say the job is finished. We continue to invest in energy-saving technologies, and make those available to those who choose our solutions. Are we perfect? No way! But we have a direction, and are committed to doing our part to reduce energy and water consumption, not to mention making maximum use of raw materials.

Good comment, foodman!

More and More GMO news

2009-04-03T13:15:00.000-07:00

Lots of buzz in the news lately, again surrounding GMOs.

It seems US President Obama is not going to second-guess scientists who say that GM sugar beets are fine. http://www.foodnavigator-usa.com/Legislation/Obama-administration-upholds-GM-sugarbeet-deregulation/?c=%2BlZ8zGql8mrDsx8CmEjESA%3D%3D&utm_source=newsletter_daily&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Newsletter%2BDaily

Of course, there are a number of groups who want the second-guessing to continue. The Center for Food Safety and Earthjustice have filed a lawsuit to prevent the introduction of herbicide-resistant sugar beets, because "they have not been proven safe". This begs the question: what do these other groups need to see to be assured of food safety? Or is this a never-ending stall tactic? What is the real danger here, anyway?

Now, these are "only" sugar beets- the resultant refined sugar is quite a bit removed from the roots themselves- we don't eat sugar beets! But if such a processed product arouses this level of scrutiny, how much more will vegetables that are consumed at lower degree of processing (e.g., frozen potato strips, vegetable)?

Hats off to Monsanto and the USDA for sticking to their guns and moving forward based on the best scientific evidence!

Tim

Green Efforts

2009-03-26T07:59:00.000-07:00

Folks, I have been remiss!

In my post of Friday, March 13, I listed the items of importance to potato processors, based on many discussions I have had over the past months. I need to add one item to that list: carbon footprint reduction, aka green efforts, aka minimizing effect on the environment, aka maximizing sustainability. We, as designers and manufacturers of processing equipment have responsibility in this area based on two maxims:

We have the responsibility to reduce overall cost of ownership of our solutions continuously, and a major part of that is reduction in facilities consumption: electricity, water and compressed air (another form of electrical power); plus reduction in good product loss and other waste. This has its own direct payback.
We have the responsibility to do our part to ensure that life as we know it on this planet continues. Sustainability. Taking the initiative to preserve natural resources, help the plants and animals with which we share the earth to thrive, ensure that the world remains a pleasant place to live for our children and grandchildren. This category does not always have direct payback, but it is a burden we must bear seriously if we want to be in business for the long term.

Short story: we are all in this together!

Perhaps in times past, sustainability has not been in the forefront of our thoughts. No longer! All of our efforts going forward will have sustainability as a major facet of focus. Also, there are areas where we have already been doing the right thing in reducing natural resource consumption; we need to do a better job in letting others know what we have done.

We also need to do some proactive thinking about how to get after the major energy consumption facets of the processed potato business. How do we get more for less from blanching, frying and freezing? Some of the answers may lie in process/equipment developments, some in product categories where processing requirements are reduced.

But in the end, the message is clear: We must all work together on sustainability. When we do, great things can be accomplished!

Tim

GMOs, Again!

2009-03-20T14:37:00.000-07:00

Finally!

A bit of a voice of reason! And from the UK? Wow! This from a nation where, if a policeman (bobby) sees a criminal running away, says, "Stop! Or I'll... shout 'stop' louder!"

Seriously, this is about genetically modified organisms, "GMOs". Check out the article: http://myprocessexpo365.packexpo.com/NST-4-50206090/UK-Government-Launches-Bid-to-Allay-Fears-Over-GM-Crops.aspx

The UK government is doing the sane thing: trying to use science to answer a question that science is eminently equipped to answer. They are making a valiant attempt to cut out all the emotion, fear mongering, hypersensitivity and hoopla surrounding this issue. The question is whether GMOs are safe to eat. The answer is: scientists will find out, and let us all know the facts. That is, if the activists let us.

As I mentioned in my blog of last May 12 (http://potatoprocessing.key.net/2008/05/gmos.html), there are criminals out there who think they are saving society by destroying test plots of GMO crops. These trespassers dig up gardens by night to keep GMOs from being evaluated for safety. If they continue, we may never find out the truth, because they won't give us the chance.

I am disgusted by the behavior of these hoodlums. Fighting to prolong ignorance seems to be self-fulfilling. Now this article implies this vandalism has happened multiple times ("...all projects have been vandalised by opponents...").

Maybe the bobbies should be shouting louder!

Tim

On What Is Important

2009-03-13T13:13:00.000-07:00

I thought I would give all you processors a little feedback.

I've been talking with many of you, and thought I would compile a list of what I think will be your areas of focus and investment over the coming months, based on the current economic environment.

1) Yield. This might seem boring to some- haven't we focused on this long enough? The answer is no. Current state-of-the-art frozen potato lines produce only 700g of product per kilo of raw. Most lines produce less than 600g. Heck, 60g is lost in the peeling step alone! This facet is the easiest payback- reduce the amount of raw product you must buy in order to fulfill demand for your products. Easy money. Yes, we've spend lots squeezing things to get to where we are. But there is lots of room for improvement.

2) Elimination of foreign materials (FM). I wrote a fair bit about different technical aspects of this last spring: Look at my posts for April 30; May 9 and 17; June 3, 9 and 20; July 14. This has been an issue that has increased importance over the last year or two, based on my conversations with you all. Everyone wants to avoid product liability/recalls, and are interested in reduced downtime that can also result. Be sure to take in my presentation on the topic at the PPI Convention in Charlottetown, PEI (http://www.potatoconvention.com/) in June.

3) Reduction in dependence on skilled labor. This one is a bit less universal than the first two- some of you are still committed to the current model of support labor needed in a line. But labor, whether we like it or not, is increasingly expensive and difficult to acquire and retain. Few people want such menial jobs, and those who are willing to accept them tend toward transient in lifestyle- you just can't keep them in one place. We are working on automation to accomplish this, as I mention in my posts of last April 1, 9 and 22.

4) Product quality. Again, this is a bit more limited in applicability. Many products have similar quality specs that have remained unchanged for a long time; for those, the focus must be yield (while maintaining quality). But there are new products and new markets, some of which require nearly zero defect. For some of those, the normal processing line setup may not be sufficient to achieve needed quality. I wrote quite a bit about this last July 3, 19 and 22.

These are the areas I focus on, because I think they are most important to you. Let me know how you see things!

Tim

The Economy

2009-03-06T13:05:00.000-08:00

This time, I really need your help.

What is the REAL effect of the current economy on the potato processing industry? Really!

I have seen the recent news reports:

French fry stocks up 7% in the US (normal for this month in the year)
Fresh potato prices remain high
Simplot and Lamb-Weston renegotiate grower contracts (growers are realistic)
Lamb-Weston moves toward JV raw potato supply in Idaho (growers are angry)
Frito-Lay sales are doing well
McDonald's is building restaurants
Etc.

To say the overall message in the news is mixed is a bit of an understatement. Are things getting better or worse or staying about the same?

Who knows?

For Key's potato business, we have seen some projects move out in time... but hey, they do that all the time, no? And no word from McCain on that new plant in the NW US they announced a couple of years ago. Maybe no news is bad news?

I have spent some time recently, traveling around to various points on the globe, to get a sense for how the industry is doing. I must say, there are quite a few new plants and new lines being planned, perhaps as much as we have seen since the Atkins scare about the same time as 9-11-01. Not huge lines, mind you, but several small-to medium projects. And many who are not planning new lines are planning equipment upgrades and modernization. So the industry seems to be planning to spend money over the next couple of years. Will they really?

As I have written before, it is times like these when I am quite pleased to be in the processed potato industry. Times are tight, consumers are not spending money in lots of areas. Computers and cars are in the tank. But everyone, it seems, needs to eat- and potato products offer a very nice mix of taste, value and nutrition. Comfort foods, I call them. Sure, people are coming home to eat rather than going to a restaurant, that is a trend to be expected. More customers for McDonald's and Safeway, fewer for TGI Fridays.

But they are eating potato products and always will.

Of course, there is reality of the current economy that will affect the processed potato industry. More people are unemployed right now, providing wonderful opportunity for our stable market to acquire employees with different views and backgrounds, broadening our perspectives. Prices for fuel have more or less come back to planet Earth, making lower cost raw product something of a possibility. And governments are stimulating the economy by providing tax incentives for business investments, cutting the cost of improving yields for an industry with cash.

So we keep working on solutions, and looking to find areas where we can apply solid technology to solve real-world problems. From my perspective, opportunities abound.

Tim

Acrylamide News

2009-02-28T08:22:00.001-08:00

Please, bear with me.

And don't get me wrong: I have no more knowledge than the rest of you regarding whether acrylamide in potato products is a true carcinogen. By "true carcinogen", I mean that, when eaten in reasonable quantities, it carries significantly higher risk of cancer than, say, traveling on a commercial airliner. Most of us do the latter without thinking much about cancer risk. And most of us are exposed to low level cancer risks all the time. To carry risk, it needs to be higher than this background "noise" of low risk.

I have drawn no conclusions as to whether acrylamide is cancer-causing. I just have observations and questions. Reference my blog entries from October 21 (http://potatoprocessing.key.net/2008/10/more-on-acrylamides.html) and August 4 (http://potatoprocessing.key.net/2008/08/acrylamide-unkowns.html) of last year.

I write this in view of a couple of recent articles: Canada is moving toward labeling acrylamide as a carcinogen: http://www.potatopro.com/Lists/News/DispForm.aspx?ID=2335&Source=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Epotatopro%2Ecom%2FNews%2Easpx; A new study from Poland that demonstrates that excessive chip/crisp consumption carries some measurably negative health effects: http://www.potatopro.com/Lists/News/DispForm.aspx?ID=2324&Source=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Epotatopro%2Ecom%2FNews%2Easpx%3FPaged%3DTRUE%26p%5FDate%3D20090219%252005%253a00%253a00%26p%5FRating%3D3%26p%5FID%3D2343%26View%3D%257b82D67804%252d78DD%252d499D%252dA872%252d014A50505992%257d%26PageFirstRow%3D26; and a Reuters report on the lack of a statistical link between acrylamide and breast cancer: http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,500692,00.html

(Thanks to Paul at http://www.potatopro.com/default.aspx for his excellent news site. If you don't spend time on Paul's site regularly, you should)

So, again, help me out.

We have a study from a number of years ago from Sweden, that says mice can contract tumors when exposed to acrylamide in concentrations far above what would be expected in normal humans eating potato products normally. Or even excessively. We have another study from about a year ago, from the Netherlands, that demonstrates no link between acrylamide consumption and risk of gastro-intestinal cancer. And now a study that shows no link with breast cancer.

We have this recent study from Poland that says that eating potato chips (with acrylamide) excessively will increase the amount of acrylamide in the blood. This must be from their rocket science department! Also apparently from the same department comes the finding that eating far too many chips/crisps (with attendant fat and salt) is not good for the circulation. Hmmmm. Seems they have made a brilliant discovery of the obvious. Interesting to observe that the Polish study does not appear to validate any link between acrylamide and cancer.

And so we now have Canada marching to the same piper as California: Treat acrylamide in potato products as conclusively cancer-causing (like tobacco). Regulate it! Label it! Advertise against it! Pay no attention to the levels of acrylamide in that bran muffin- bran muffins are healthy! "Potato", however, is a word that should regularly be linked with "couch", and so is bad.

And so our culture expresses its prejudice and tendency to over-regulate.

I have not yet seen a study that actually statistically links the consumption of potato products by actual humans in relatively normal amounts with measurably increased risk of cancer. Until we see such a study, we should exercise some rational balance between potential (read: unknown) risk and known cost.

OK, I'll step down from the soapbox now.

Tim

Bean Cutters, Swan Song!

2009-02-20T13:58:00.000-08:00

"So, let's get real, Tim!", you might say.

"No one in their right mind applies bean cutters to 15 ton/hour finished lines, only smaller ones." So, let's take a look at smaller lines. Let's also look at those that produce 10mm cuts as a primary product, rather than shoestring.

One aspect of comparison is that ADR capacity is granular: It can handle about 12 tons/hour of product (10mm cut), wet basis at the ADR. So if your line is 6 tons/hour finished or less (finished capacity is roughly half of wet cut capacity), one ADR will handle your defect control needs. Put a sorter downstream of the ADR for the full ADR-First (tm) effect, but that is optional. The issue is: If you run lower finished capacity, the capital expense of ADR is the same as for the larger line. Eventually, you can get low enough capacity so that the bean cutter approach looks attractive. Let's see how low we need to go before bean cutters make sense economically:

The rough numbers (see my Feb. 7 posting below) is that ADR saves €33.833 per finished ton per hour per year in product loss, ignoring the value loss of shortened product from the bean cutter, based on all our previous assumptions. Let's assume a 3-year payback is attractive for most processors. Let's assume a bean cutter line segment (with sorter) costs €350.000 and an ADR-only segment costs €500.000.

Under those assumptions, you would need a finished capacity of less than 1.5 tons per hour for bean cutters to make sense. These days, I don't hear of anyone designing so small a line.

Also, then, it takes only 3 tons per hour of finished capacity to make two ADRs pay back. But you won't need them unless finished capacity is over 6 tons per hour. In the end, all this means is that if your line produces more than 1.5 tons per hour finished, and your economics align with our assumptions of the last posting, ADR is the right choice for defect control, rather than bean cutters.

To top it off, the ADR-only line can remove 23% more defects than the bean cutter line. So if your raw quality is marginal, ADR will keep you in grade when the bean cutter will not. That is not figured into the equation..... yet!

It seems that, in the end, bean cutters are best applied to... beans!

Tim

Bean Cutters, Part Deux

2009-02-07T23:55:00.001-08:00

So, let’s look at the numbers for bean cutters in a potato strip application (see last week’s entry), and draw some conclusions, OK?

My model is admittedly simplified. For example, it assumes that all strips that contain peeled surfaces substantially on their ends are 75mm long. And strips that contain peel surfaces substantially on their sides are 60mm long. Yes, I will make a more detailed model later, but for now this will do.

The results? When running through a sort-then-bean-cut-then-sort line, defect removal is 65.8% maximum, roughly the same as a sort-then ADR cut line (64%). Compare that with an ADR-only line (80%) and ADR-First (93%). If your need is product quality, and/or your incoming quality exceeds 20%, ADR-first or ADR-only is clearly what you need. The bean cutter? Only if your incoming defect is under 20% (everyone busts that barrier sometimes, these days) or your product quality requirements are not as high as your competitors, does bean cutting make any sense from a removal perspective.

Now let’s look at yield. The total cubes coming out of the bean cutter (including cubes put into the blancher) is over 62% white, less than 38% defect. Now, if you have a bean cutter system you might measure your white cube rate at “only” 50-55%. But you are not seeing the rest of your losses. Take a peek at what is going into your blancher, what you see may surprise you.

Now, the typical modern ADR outputs a cube stream of about 80% defect, 20% white cuts. Many folks achieve better, but let’s go with those numbers. And let’s focus on comparing a sort-then ADR cut vs. sort-then-bean-cut-then sort line; as we mentioned above, if your need is high defect removal, you have already made your decision.

The total flow rate of cubes out of the sort-then-ADR system is about 1/5th of the defect flow in. For example, if you are running a 15 metric ton per hour (finished) line, and the defect level averages 15%, your incoming flow of defect into the sorters is 4.5 tons per hour. And your cube stream is 900 kg per hour.

Now, the total cube generation of the sort-then-bean-cut-then sort line is 2.1 times that of the sort-then ADR system. So, for that same 15 ton/hour line at 15% defect, the cubes total 1890 kg per hour. The difference is 990 kg/hour.

Now you have enough to do the rest of the math. What is the value difference to you between cubes and strips? What is your flow rate? What is the nominal defect level you wish to target? My bet is that the installed cost of an ADR looks to have a handsome payback for you, even if the bean cutters would be free.

Let’s just use some rough numbers. Assume 8 months of storage crop, running at capacity 23 hours per day, running 13 of every 14 days. Total bean cutting operational hours are then 5126. Assume you don’t need defect control on fresh crop. If you run a 15 ton/hour line, your loss due to the difference between a bean cutter and an ADR is 5075 metric tons per year. Now, if the difference in value between cubes (going to formed or flake) and strips is "only" €0,10 per kg, the value loss due bean cutters is €507.500 per year. At 10% MARR simple annual compounding, the present value of that cost over 7 years (minimum life of equipment) is about €2.500.000!

That is enough to buy the ADR AND the yacht!

And this doesn’t yet address the other costs: you need more sorting capacity with a bean cutter line, due to the need to re-sort the cut strips, then resort again and again. And the other matter: With the bean cutter, your average strip length drops like a rock. You have many more short pieces in the line. You would probably struggle to make length grade for many products. You can do the math on that issue, as well.

That cheap bean cutter doesn’t look so cheap now, does it? Like I said in my last post, you can pay now or you can pay later.

So, we’re back to somber, serious, hard numbers after a blog entry that was perhaps a bit of fun last week. Which style do you prefer?

Tim

Bean Cutters: The reality

2009-02-01T13:06:00.000-08:00

Folks, sorry for the hiatus- You will definitely see me posting weekly going forward. Change you can believe in!

Let's have a chat about bean cutters. For those of you who don't know, a number of potato strip lines today run with bean cutters in lieu of ADRs. Bean cutters are devices that can be configured to cut a segment off of one end of long, thin objects (like snap beans, which is what the machines are made to cut). There is no selection of which end will be cut- it is a blind, random cutting of one end of the strips that enter the device. Typically, folks set them on strip lines to cut 15mm at a whack, but that is an adjustment that can be anything you wish.

They set their lines up with optical sorters, sending the rejects to one or more bean cutter. The remnants are then sorted again, the pass stream going to the blancher, and the rejects to the bean cutter again.

There is, of course, no mystery as to why people have done this. Let's be honest- ADRs are expensive and bean cutters are cheap. Easy math. No one wants to pay out big bucks if there is another way to get the job done. And, if you are an equipment supplier who does not offer ADR, what choice do you have? You sell what you can deliver! Tout its value! And who doesn't want low capital cost?

The problem is, just like the oil filter ads of a couple decades ago, "you can pay now or you can pay later". And the amount you "pay later" is, let's just say, eye-opening. Just like those filter ads of yesteryear.

I have spent the last couple of days modeling what a sort-then-bean-cut line does to potato strips. Without going into all the details, if you did to people what bean cutters do to potato strip yield, you would be in the slammer 20 years-to-life.

Just look at your average, pedestrian potato strip. 7mm cut. 75mm long. No criminal record. Defect on one end, like 15% of his relatives (5% have a defect in the middle, but that is jumping ahead). When he runs through the sorter, he is rejected and sent to the bean cutter. SNIP! He loses 15mm in length. Now, half the time, his defect end is cut off, and he passes into the blancher his second time through the sorter. Would that it were always so simple!

(Ever wonder which end is YOUR defect end?)

Problem is, half the time, the wrong end is cut. Whoops, there goes waste. A white cube down the drain! But wait, we're not done... the strip comes back around through the sorter, where 20% of the time he is missed and passed into the blancher! Holy cow! You mean, I could lose a white cut, and still pass the defect? Yep. Happens all the time. And even if the right end was cut the first time through the bean cutter, the good remnant can be rejected back to the cutter if it is lying too close to a defect going through the sorter. WOW! You mean, everything can go right, all through the cutter, but I can still end up making white cubes? You bet.

And we're STILL not done. If the wrong end is cut the first time, and the strip is successfully sorted to the cutter the second time, what are the chances the wrong end is cut again? 50%! But the strip is now only 60mm long and getting shorter. Recovery of the remnant is getting less and less valuable. And if the wrong end is cut a second time, there is also a 20% chance that the defect passes through the sorter into the blancher. And on and on it goes, until we have a big pile of nubbins (including some actual defects), and compromised product quality.

I think you get my point.

Next time, I'll work through some of the actual numbers with you. As you can tell, I was having a bit of fun with this tonight. Next time, we'll get serious. Promise!

Tim

FPSA Chicago Presentation

2008-11-07T11:23:00.000-08:00

While we are in "promotion" mode:

If you happen to be in Chicago and/or at the FPSA/PACK Expo at McCormick Center next week, stop in and take in my presentation Tuesday morning at 8:30: http://pei2008.packexpo.com/attendee/tracks_all.html

I will be talking about in-plant traceability from the perspective of the processor. Tools and methods to take advantage of new technology to increase the granularity of traceability for processed food products. This will effectively point back to the FM Alert! function I mentioned here yesterday (see below), and our responsibility to consumers to do everything reasonable to assure food safety.

While you are there, stop by the Key booth. You can see our new Manta sorter; stop by for a snack and beverage at the end of the day.

I hope to see you there!

Tim

FM Alert!- What the heck is that!?!

2008-11-06T09:17:00.000-08:00

Have you all seen this:

http://www.key.net/about/news/fmalert-capability/default.html

What is that all about, you might ask....

There are several facets you might want to consider as we move more and more into foreign material control:

You need to KNOW when Foreign Material (FM) is detected (identification plus network communication capability)
You need to know WHEN FM is detected (time stamp)
You need to know WHAT category of FM is detected (image capture for human inspection)

Basically, you need to know the severity of foreign material events in your line, so you can immediately undertake containment actions when appropriate, and not do them if they are not necessary.

This is a tool that can be very helpful in minimizing both cost and risk to you.

Foreign material control in food products, especially in the processed potato industry, has been an issue that has greatly increased visibility recently. Everyone seems focused on implementing something as soon as possible. However, just wanting FM out is not enough, you need to know the consequences of your many choices. Be sure to find a knowledgeable technology partner to work with, to make sure that you get the solution that is best for your industry.

OK... that will be as commercial as I get....

Until next time-

Tim

Potatoes vs. The Economy

2008-10-24T15:14:00.000-07:00

We have seen the "news". If it is still news that the stock market is tanking, that people have no confidence in the economy, that the housing lending market is a disaster. Global crash. Not to make too light a thing of it, but the next thing you know, the Grinch will be stealing Christmas. Again!

At least gas (petrol) prices are dropping.

Seriously, I am trying to predict how all this will affect the potato industry. What will processors' business look like in 6-12 months? What about their customers and suppliers?

I have heard that there has been a small drop in processed potato product consumption, but no big deal. Makes sense. People need to eat, and that will not stop, recession or no! And, really, potato products are a super value for the calorie, plus a real "comfort" food, they taste great! It seems that the market for potato products will not drop much, maybe even increase a bit, no?

Plus, with the drop in fuel prices and the drop in corn and veggie prices, prices for raw product will also settle back down a bit, yes? And that may ease the squeeze, so to speak...

Who knows, maybe profits could actually go up...

So I, for one, will go on record as predicting that the current economic situation will not be disastrous for the processed potato market.

NOW: I need some commenters who have other opinions. Speak UP!

Tim

More on Acrylamides

2008-10-21T13:34:00.000-07:00

Check out the article: http://www.foodqualitynews.com/Publications/Food-Beverage-Nutrition/FoodNavigator/Science-Nutrition/Acrylamide-not-linked-to-GI-cancer-risk-Study/?c=%2BlZ8zGql8mrmAmsDCii%2FSA%3D%3D

Now, I know we are in uncharted territory here, and that prudence is highly advised. After all, cancer is nothing to trifle with, so anything we do to avoid it seems reasonable, no? Food is to preserve life, not risk it!

But.... if there is actually no evidence that normally ingested food products increase the cancer rate in actual humans (and I am NOT talking about humans who eat 20 kg of potato chips in a day), what is the real risk? If it is down in the realm of getting hit by an asteroid, it seems that overreaction has taken hold here. Note that most of us do not regularly carry asteroid umbrellas, we take the risk for what it is. Even if the small chance of being wrong has quite severe consequences.

Now, the recent California litigation (see below) is government-driven, so I don't expect them to be constrained by any real facts. Rather, I expect that situation to continue for some time. But for the rest of us non-Californians, we had better be asking the tough questions and doing our homework regarding acrylamide and food safety. Because the risk either way seems significant in terms of both food safety issues as well as the sustainability of the processed potato market.

Tim

The Golden Potato!

2008-10-01T15:08:00.000-07:00

Potato prices are going through the roof!

Some articles to reference (I picked them from potatopro.com):http://www.capitalpress.info/main.asp?SectionID=67&SubSectionID=618&ArticleID=44834&TM=51257.21 and http://www.potatopro.com/Lists/News/DispForm.aspx?ID=1862&Source=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Epotatopro%2Ecom%2FNews%2Easpx

Now, I have to say I have had my fill of high grocery prices as a result of the US ethanol debacle. I am all for "green", but when you use more energy to produce a renewable source than is produced, you are going the wrong direction. And then to have consumers (and taxpayers) ultimately foot the bill for this kind of shell game, you start to get me riled.

Now the problem is spreading to potatoes. Exacerbated certainly by the weak US dollar and the skyrocketing price of petroleum. It is a brave new world, folks, and we need to see how things readjust to fit.

It seems certain that raw potato prices will drive finished goods prices up, or processors will lose interest in their work (reducing supply, which will then certainly drive prices up, uncontrollably). So how do processors respond?

1) Raise prices of their products.
2) Work even harder on projects that improve yield. The higher raw prices get, the better the payback for yield.
3) Move away from potato processing into other, more profitable ventures. Pressure will drive the weaker players from the field.

We need to look closely at how plants are run, investigating every opportunity for efficiency gains. Gone are the days of casually letting product pile up on the floor at spill points, or responding sluggishly to equipment downtime. Those who learn to address these kinds of issues aggressively may be making the difference between profitability, survival or otherwise...