Articles
ESCAPING THE COMMODITY TRAP – POTATO PROCESSORS AND CONSUMERS IN AUSTRALASIA
Article number
670_1
Pages
15 – 18
Language
English
Abstract
The strong economic pressures driving the processing potato industry are the result of companies purchasing the same raw material, often from the same growers, processing them in similar factories and competing fiercely on the same market.
The steady growth of the Australasian potato processing industry has stretched for decades, but is showing signs of flattening out.
Clear consumer, community and legislative trends are emerging that challenge the industry to embrace more change in the next 5 years than in the last 40, or face a serious decline in market share.
Consumers are becoming more demanding, with rising expectations on food safety, health, functional foods, convenience, novelty and excitement.
New product developments have met with success, and include battered wedges and French fries, oven baked French fries, oven roast potatoes, extreme flavoured crisps and products fried in canola oil.
Modern food processors must embrace the concept of the “triple bottom line”, and a large effort is underway to develop new technology and varieties to meet environmental commitments.
Innovation, particularly biotechnology, is a potential path out of the commodity trap.
However the progress of new biotechnology continues to race ahead of public understanding, opinion, and legislation and Australasian processing companies have adopted a very conservative and cautious approach.
The steady growth of the Australasian potato processing industry has stretched for decades, but is showing signs of flattening out.
Clear consumer, community and legislative trends are emerging that challenge the industry to embrace more change in the next 5 years than in the last 40, or face a serious decline in market share.
Consumers are becoming more demanding, with rising expectations on food safety, health, functional foods, convenience, novelty and excitement.
New product developments have met with success, and include battered wedges and French fries, oven baked French fries, oven roast potatoes, extreme flavoured crisps and products fried in canola oil.
Modern food processors must embrace the concept of the “triple bottom line”, and a large effort is underway to develop new technology and varieties to meet environmental commitments.
Innovation, particularly biotechnology, is a potential path out of the commodity trap.
However the progress of new biotechnology continues to race ahead of public understanding, opinion, and legislation and Australasian processing companies have adopted a very conservative and cautious approach.
Authors
M. Heap
Keywords
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