Sign Language

In sign language today, one of the signs we learned was for potato! If anyone would like to know how it's done, http://www.aslpro.com/cgi-bin/aslpro/aslpro.cgi has videos of tons of signs! Unfortunately, the potato video would not post but you can go to that site and choose P in the alphabet and learn how to say potato and potato masher! Here's a little illustration..

GE Potatoes

I found this article online and it fits in perfectly with what we have been talking about in class. It is from 2000, but it is still interesting to know fast food restaurants are against genetically modified potatoes.

"Decision By Fast Food Giants To Reject Genetically Engineered Potatoes Sends Strong Message To Farmers"

News Release
IATP
Contact: Ben Lilliston - 612-870-3416
April 28, 2000

McDonald's, Burger King, Frito-Lay, and Proctor & Gamble Want Genetically Engineered-Free Potatoes

Minneapolis - The decision by major US fast food restaurants and food companies to source non-genetically engineered potatoes sends a clear message to farmers that the markets for genetically engineered crops are closing. The revelation was reported in today's Wall Street Journal, based on initial background research by the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy (IATP).

McDonald's and Burger King are telling their potato suppliers that they do not want genetically engineered (GE) potatoes. McDonald's hopes to go entirely GE-free by the fall of 2000 with regards to potatoes used in its popular french fries. GE potatoes are designed to combat the potato beetle by splicing the bacterium Bacillus Thuringiensis (Bt) into every cell.

"Biotech seed companies have been telling farmers to not worry about the closing of international markets to genetically engineered crops, and that GE crops can be sold in the US," says Gabriela Flora, IATP Program Associate on Agriculture Biotechnologies. "Farmers have been left in the dark about the reality of US markets. Deciding to plant GE seeds is a big gamble for farmers at a time when commodity prices are at record lows."

McDonald's and Burger King are the nation's first major chain restaurants to start sourcing GE-free crops for their foods. As reported in today's Wall Street Journal, Frito-Lay and Procter & Gamble are also trying to source GE-free potatoes. Earlier this year, Frito-Lay announced that it was asking its contract farmers to grow GE-free corn.

"The fact that major restaurant chains and food processors are removing genetically engineered ingredients from their foods is very significant for farmers who are planting genetically engineered crops this year," says Flora. "It sends a clear message to farmers that food companies are quietly moving away from GE crops."

IATP discovered McDonald's and Burger King's efforts to source GE potatoes after hearing from farmers and one of the nation's largest potato supplier - R.D. Offutt, Inc - that the fast food giants were seeking GE-free potatoes.

Companies trying to source GE-free potatoes are following a pattern of US food companies taking steps to go GE-free. Gerber and Heinz have gone GE-free in producing their baby food. The baby formula company, Enfamil, is going GE-free. Food companies, supermarkets and restaurants throughout Europe have gone GE-free and placed added pressure on US companies and farmers who wish to export. Japan stated earlier this week that it will begin screening food coming into the country to determine whether it is genetically engineered.

According to recent US Department of Agriculture (USDA) statistics, planting of US genetically engineered crops is declining. The USDA estimates that plantings of engineered Bt corn will decline by 25 percent, and plantings of GE Roundup Ready soybeans will decline by 9 percent.

IATP has been closely monitoring the impacts of genetically engineered crops on agriculture in the US and around the world. IATP has been regularly meeting with farmers, and monitoring suppliers and agribusiness companies on this issue.

The Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy works to create environmentally and economically sustainable rural communities and regions through sound agriculture and trade policy. IATP is active in both domestic and international policymaking through monitoring, analysis and research, education and outreach, and information systems management.

http://www.biotech-info.net/decisions_fastfood.html

Mr. Potato Head

Mr. Potato Head was "born" in 1952, at the Pawtucket, RI-based toy company, Hasbro, Inc., and began making history as the very first toy to be advertised on television.
The original Mr. Potato Head contained only parts, such as eyes, ears, noses and mouths, and parents had to supply children with real potatoes to dress up. Eight years later, a hard plastic potato "body" was included with Mr. Potato Head to replace the need for a real potato. Over the next three decades, a variety of Mr. Potato Head products were sold. (Hasbro.com)
Here are some different Mr. Potato Heads that I found.

Baked Potato Hotdogs

I mentioned this recipe in class yesterday, so for anyone who heard, you know what's coming. I find the whole idea of this to be gross. I admit I am a picky eater, but this is just weird. I like my hotdogs very simple, with ketchup. I like baked potatoes, but only if they are basically turned into mashed potatoes in the skin with butter. This recipe is very simple, but so awful. It is a hotdog inside a baked potato. Separately served as a meal, I say that's fine. But the combination just makes me think of how dry the potato would be in combination with whatever condiments you choose for your hotdog. Oh yea, and theres the taste of the actual hotdog to throw into that combination. Ew.


Preheat grill. With apple corer, cut centers out of potatoes lengthwise, or cut a lengthwise wedge out of each potato. Insert hot dogs into potatoes. Wrap potatoes individually in foil. Place potatoes on top rack of grill over low heat. Close grill lid and cook for 40 minutes or until potatoes are done. Use oven mitts to remove potatoes from grill. Unwrap potatoes before serving.

Please don't try this at home.

Healthy Potatoes

Heres some different health ideas I found on the web about potatoes.

The Potato was ranked as the number out of the 20 top-selling fruits and vegetables, ranked by amount of Potassium. One medium potato with skin has 720mg.

Potatoes are an excellent source of vitamin C, B vitamins, and fiber.

The skin of the potato makes it healthier.

Potatoes eaten with the skin provide nearly half of the Daily Value for Vitamin C we all need.

Potatoes are fat and sodium free.

The Center for Science in the Public Interest ranked the Sweet Potato #1 for the most nutritious vegetable. The Sweet Potato ranked first because of its dietary fiber, naturally occurring sugars, complex carbohydrates, protein, vitamins A and C, iron and calcium. The Sweet Potato contains almost twice the recommended daily allowance of vitamin A, 42% of the recommendation for vitamin C, four times the RDA for beta carotene, and, when eaten with the skin, sweet potatoes have more fiber than oatmeal.

Heres a recipe to get you started on eating more nutritious Sweet Potatoes

Sweet Potato Casserole

4 1/2 pounds sweet potatoes
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup milk
1/2 cup butter, softened
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cups cornflakes cereal, crushed
1/4 cup chopped pecans
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 tablespoon butter, melted
1 1/2 cups miniature marshmallows

Bake sweet potatoes at 400° for about 1 hour or until tender. Let cool to touch; peel and mash sweet potatoes.

Beat mashed sweet potatoes, sugar, and next 5 ingredients at medium speed with an electric mixer until smooth. Spoon potato mixture into a greased 11- x 7-inch baking dish.

Combine cornflakes cereal and next 3 ingredients in a small bowl. Sprinkle diagonally over casserole in rows 2 inches apart.

Bake at 350° for 30 minutes. Remove from oven; let stand 10 minutes. Sprinkle alternate rows with marshmallows; bake 10 additional minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Makes 6 to 8 servings

Production & Consumption

Dr. Cohen sent me a link to a site that is all about 2008 being the International Year of the Potato! Exciting. I found these maps and charts and thought they were pretty interesting. In 2006, the USA was the 4th leading potato producer. North America was 5th for production in 2006 and also 5th for consumption in 2005. I will be posting more about what I find on this website, and if you want to look on your own the site is http://www.potato2008.org/en/index.html

World potato production, 1990-2006

	1990	1992	1994	1996	1998	2000	2002	2004	2006
Countries	million tonnes
Developed	195.22	184.64	168.69	193.59	169.25	182.04	163.58	171.79	155.25
Developing	84.09	93.44	102.38	117.71	131.41	146.51	152.41	157.77	159.12
WORLD	279.32	278.09	271.07	311.31	300.67	328.55	315.98	329.56	314.37
Source: FAOSTAT

The world potato sector is undergoing major changes. Until the early 1990s, most potatoes were grown and consumed in Europe, North America and countries of the former Soviet Union. Since then, there has been a dramatic increase in potato production and demand in Asia, Africa and Latin America, where output rose from less than 30 million tonnes in the early 1960s to almost 120 million tonnes by the mid-1990s. FAO data shows that in 2005, for the first time, the developing world's potato production - some 162 million tonnes - exceeded that of the developed world (156 million tonnes). China is now the biggest potato producer, and almost a third of all potatoes is harvested in China and India.

Top potato producers, 2006

	Quantity (t)		Kg per capita
1. China	70 338 000	1. Belarus	835.6
2. Russian Fed.	38 572 640	2. Netherlands	415.1
3. India	23 910 000	3. Ukraine	414.8
4. USA	19 712 630	4. Denmark	291.1
5. Ukraine	19 467 000	5. Latvia	286.0
6. Germany	10 030 600	6. Poland	271.5
7. Poland	8 981 976	7. Belgium	267.4
8. Belarus	8 329 412	8. Lithuania	261.2
9. Netherlands	6 500 000	9. Russian Fed.	259.0
10. France	6 354 333	10. Kyrgyzstan	219.4
Source: FAOSTAT

Europe

Latin
America

Asia/Oceania

Africa

North America

Production
quantity

Potato production, by region, 2006

	Harvested area	Quantity	Yield
	hectares	tonnes	tonnes/hectare
Africa	1 499 687	16 420 729	10.95
Asia/Oceania	9 143 495	131 286 181	14.36
Europe	7 348 420	126 332 492	17.19
Latin America	951 974	15 627 530	16.42
North America	608 131	24 708 603	40.63
WORLD	19 551 707	314 375 535	16.08
Source: FAOSTAT

Asia and Europe are the world's major potato producing regions, accounting for more than 80 percent of world production in 2006. While harvests in Africa and Latin America were far smaller, production was at record levels. North America was the clear leader in yields, at more than 40 tonnes per hectare.

Europe

Latin
America

Asia/Oceania

Africa

North America

Consumption
(per capita)

Potato consumption, by region, 2005

	Population	Consumption
		Total food (t)	kg per capita
Africa	905 937 000	12 850 000	14.18
Asia/Oceania	3 938 469 000	101 756 000	25.83
Europe	739 276 000	71 087 000	96.15
Latin America	561 344 000	13 280 000	23.65
North America	330 608 000	19 156 000	57.94
WORLD	6 475 634 000	218 129 000	33.68
Source: FAOSTAT

Asia consumes almost half of the world's potato supply, but its huge population means that consumption per person was a modest 25 kg in 2005. The heartiest potato eaters are Europeans. Per capita consumption is lowest, but increasing, in Africa and Latin America.