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Why the potato?
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Save Our Spuds
Preserve Planet Potato
So, what has the potato done for so many? It has repeatedly saved entire societies from chronic malnutrition and starvation. For example, impoverished Irish families ate meals consisting mostly of boiled potatoes with only a bit of milk, butter or cheese. The family ate from a "table" created by placing a basket used to gather the spuds over the cooking pot.
The
wealthy Irish ate potatoes
... their potato bowls perched on silver rings, so the heat wouldn't mar the finish of the dining table. The
potato is again playing a vital role in feeding the world. Only this
time it is playing two parts:
and
overnourishing many of the rest of us.
This is the late McDonald's corporation CEO Jim Cantalupo. He was responsible for the globalization of the golden arches (the company has always denied that they are two bent fries) restaurant chain. At one point the company opened 3000 stores a year. Fried potatoes are one of the most profitable items on the menu and accompany whatever is ordered. The unfried potato is a naturally nutritious, non-fat food that should be a part of every dieter's plans.
Unfortunately
most people today
this
has led to a world-wide health crisis of French
Fry Sales Leveling Off As They Are Blamed for Americans' Struggle With
Fat-- Associated Press, Washington, Sept. 27, 2003 No wonder that the image of the potato has slipped. "Do you want fries with that?" has become a symbol of second class employment status. Fried potatoes have become the poster food for those who are concerned with this issue.
But it was less than a century ago that fried potatoes became ubiquitous. Prior to the 1950's when technology for freezing pre-sliced and cooked potato products started to take over,
French fries were made by hand, eaten immediately and only occasionally. Potatoes have been around for a long time.
In
the potato's homeland, the Andes Mountains of
the native peoples have cultivated thousands of varieties
which
they almost exclusively eat boiled,
And
until very recently,
--either baked, boiled or mashed. Compare per capita consumption of fresh vs. fried potatoes with obesity rates among children and adults in the USA: Fresh potatoes (baked, mashed,
boiled, salads, etc) Fried potatoes (fries, chips) Overweight children ages 6-19 Obese adults Overweight adults Sources: Economic
Research Service, USDA Click here to continue the exhibit.
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Trends in potato use: from fresh to fries Over the years, and especially since the 1950s, the percentage of the potato crop used for processing has steadily increased. In 1959, only 19 percent of the crop was processed, while fresh use dominated potato utilization. However, about 57 percent of the 2002 crop was processed and just 29 percent was sold as fresh table stock. Processors used 263 million cwt of potatoes from the 2002 crop, of which 59 percent was frozen (mostly as french fries), 20 percent was chipped, 20 percent was dehydrated, and the remainder canned or used to produce potato starch or flour. About 86 percent of the 2002 crop was used for human consumption with the remainder going for seed (6 percent), livestock feed, on-farm use, and/or for diversion programs (1 percent), or was lost due to shrinkage, spoilage, etc. (7 percent). The most significant trend over the past 30-40 years has been the rise of frozen potato use and the decline of fresh use. In 1960, domestic per capita consumption of fresh potatoes was 81 pounds, while consumption of processed potato products (including frozen) was only 25.3 pounds per person. Per capita consumption of frozen potato products was only 7.6 pounds, while chips accounted for 11.4 pounds. By 1965, however, frozen product consumption surpassed chips, and by 1971 per capita consumption of all processed potato products (driven primarily by frozen product) surpassed fresh utilization. Per capita use of fresh potatoes continued to decline until 1981, when it totaled 45.8 pounds. For the remainder of the 1980s, and through the 1990s, fresh per capita consumption averaged about 49 pounds. During the decline in fresh consumption, consumption of frozen potato products continued to steadily increase, peaking at 60.2 pounds per capita in 1996. Since 1996, however, per capita consumption of both fresh and frozen potatoes has slightly but steadily declined. In 2002, fresh consumption hit an all-time low of 44.5 pounds, while frozen use fell to 55.1 pounds, the lowest level since 1993. Preliminary figures seem to show a leveling at around these consumption levels for 2003 and 2004, but future consumption levels are uncertain. The recent declines could be due to increased popularity of low-carbohydrate and low-fat diets, as well as due to increased competition from other foods as ethnic diversity in the U.S. continues to change American diets. The
growth of the fast-food industry since 1960 was the main impetus behind
the shift toward frozen potato use. In 1964 (the first year for which
foodservice/retail statistics are available), less than 1 billion pounds
of frozen fries were packed, 79 percent of which moved through the foodservice
industry. By 1998, about 90 percent of the 7.5 billion pounds of frozen
french fries packed in the U.S. were sold by foodservice outlets. However,
with increasing competition from other frozen potato-producing countries
(particularly Canada), and an apparent slight decrease in domestic demand,
only 6.6 billion pounds of frozen french fries were packed in the U.S.
in 2002.
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