Exploring the history of various aspects of the potato industry throughout the years.
ORIGIN:
One of the earliest convenience foods was dehydrated potatoes. In 1905, Ernest W. Cooke applied for a United States patent for “Dehydrated Potatoes and Process of Preparing the Same”, which was granted in 1912. Under Cooke’s process, potatoes were cut up into small pieces, shredded, cooked slightly, then dried. They could be reconstituted by simply adding water. Previously, the hydration of dried potatoes whose cell walls had been crushed caused a starchy mess that wasn’t very tasty.
TIMELINE:
- 1905 — Ernest W. Cooke applies for a U.S. patent for “Dehydrated Potatoes and Process of Preparing the Same”
- 1912 — Ernest W. Cooke’s patent granted
- Mid-1950s — RT French Company, then a subsidiary of the British firm Reckitt & Colman, launches instant mashed potatoes onto the retail market
- 1961 — Edward A.M. Asselbergs, Hugh Hamilton and Patricia Saidak, who all worked at the Canadian Department of Agriculture’s Plant Research Centre at the Experimental Farm in Ottawa, Ont. filed a Canadian patent application for a new process for preparing dehydrated cooked mashed potatoes
- 1962 — Edward A.M. Asselbergs’ patent granted
STATS:
- In 2003 more than 2.4 billion pounds of potatoes were turned into dehydrated potato flakes in the U.S.
- Global instant mashed potatoes market compound annual growth rate for 2023 to 2030 is 6.3 per cent.
- The global dehydrated potato market size was valued at USD$5.71 billion in 2022.
QUICK FACTS:
- Demand for instant potatoes rose during the First World War but then fell during the 1920s and 1930s. During the Second World War instant potatoes became popular as the U.S. military bought them to feed their troops.
- The Canadian instant mashed potatoes invented in the 1960s were created by cut-up potatoes being cooked in boiling water, then fluffed them to remove moisture and mashed between two rollers to form a continuous, perforated layer. The potato layer was then dried on a heated surface to produce crystal-like particles.
- The 1960 Canadian instant mashed potatoes process was tested on Idaho Russet potatoes as well as potatoes grown in Canada, including the Sebago variety grown on Prince Edward Island.
- The Canadian potato flakes broke down into hot liquid more easily, providing a smoother, richer finished product than granules.
- The fastest-growing category in the instant mashed potatoes market is the milk flavoured mashed potatoes segment.
- The Asia Pacific region is largest global market for instant mashed potatoes.
- Recent market growth for instant mashed potatoes is due to various factors including the rise in the popularity for products with longer shelf lives and all-season availability.
- The top dehydrated potato companies are McCain Foods, Basic American Foods, Lamb Weston, Idahoan Foods and Pacific Valley Foods.
Sources: American Chemical Society, CityNews, Cognitive Market Research, Fortune Business Insights, Yahoo
