Seed potatoes sold out
Innate potato is in great demand at the supermarket
American supermarkets are only too happy to sell the Innate potato. This genetically modified potato variety suffers much less from blue bumps compared to conventional varieties. The result is that the storage quality has improved enormously. Especially at the end of the storage season. The seed potatoes at breeder JR Simplot are now sold out.
Phytophthora resistance
Simplot currently has four Innate breeds on the market: Russet Burbank, Ranger Russet, Atlantic and Snowden. These are intended for both the table potato market and the French fries sector. Simplot places DNA from wild potato plants in the Innate variety. For example, it is less sensitive to shock blue, contains less of the carcinogenic substance acrylamide and is resistant to Phytophthora infestans. That last one is a new one development for this season.
2.400
hectare
2.400 ha in the US
In 2014, Simplot was given the green light from the USDA in the United States. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) followed suit a year later with an approval.
'Last crop has grown 6.000 acres of the crop in the US,' Simplot spokesman Doug Cole tells Potato Pro† Converted that is more than 2.400 hectares. 'These potatoes are mainly sold to the table potato market.'
Prevent cross-contamination
Not only in the US, but also in Canada, Simplot has received approval from food safety organizations to sell the Innate potato. An authorization for generation 2, with built-in phytophthora resistance, is expected to follow this year. Canadian potato growers are also interested in the varieties. The biggest problem is Simplot's requirement: other varieties may not be grown on the farm, to avoid cross-contamination. In 2016, only test fields were built in Canada. The approval came too late in the season for the cultivation to take place commercially.
Seed potatoes sold out
“In the US, 4.000 acre (1.600 hectares) of Innate seed potatoes were planted last season,” said Cole. The proceeds are now completely sold out. Retailers are especially interested in the varieties at the end of the season. It is then difficult to find a product without bruising. Over time, pressure points appear in bulk storage, resulting in a lot of loss. Our varieties have half as many bruises as conventional potatoes.'
No GMO label
In the US, no GMO (Genetically Modified Organism) label is attached to the Innate potato. This is because no DNA from foreign organisms has been used. Only from other potato plants. There is a QR code on the packaging that refers to information about biotechnology. It remains to be seen whether special packaging is required in Canada.
Niels van der Boom
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