Why do potatoes go green?
Greening is caused when potatoes are exposed to light. The greening is due to the presence of a substance called solanine, which is poisonous. If there is only a small portion of the potato that is green, simply trim it off and discard.

Why do some potatoes go grey when they are cooked?
This is related to the iron content of the potato. At certain times in the year the iron content of the soil varies, hence when the iron content is low the potatoes tend to grey if they are cut open and/or cooked and left at a high temperature. To rectify this, add some lemon juice to the water and this will inhibit the greying

Why do potatoes vary?
The growing conditions of a potato greatly influence the characteristics of a particular potato. A similar potato which is grown in different conditions, i.e. rainfall, frost, soil type, can exhibit quite different qualities in terms of cooking attributes, flavour, etc.

If I select a potato variety, why does it cook, and sometimes taste, differently from time to time?
This is simply the nature of the potato, and it is why, as an industry, we are reticent to make a claim about a particular potato variety and its performance. See seasonal changes.

I have heard potatoes described as waxy and floury, what does this mean?
Basically, there are two main parts of a potato – water and starch. The more starch in the potato the ‘flourier’ it is, and the more water, the waxier in texture. The amount of water and starch affects how the potatoes cook. A potato with lots of starch goes really fluffy and soft when cooked -so it is ideal to mash or bake. A potato with less starch has a waxy, more solid, texture when cooked making it ideal to boil or use in salads. Some potatoes have moderate amounts of starch. These potatoes fall into the ‘general purpose’ category and will tend to perform most tasks, although perhaps with not as good results as the ones which clearly fall into the floury or waxy category.

Why do some potatoes fall apart when boiling?
Some potatoes retain their shape a lot better than other potatoes, depending on the structure of the potato. Potatoes which disintegrate on boiling tend to be floury – which are better suited to mashing. It is also sometimes due to the cooking technique being too aggressive – i.e. boiling too hard or for too long.

What is the correct way to boil or mash a potato?
There are as many answers to this question as there are people willing to answer the question! Most people get their favourite way – some will swear that the water must be boiling before adding the potatoes, others are adamant that the potatoes must be added to cold water and bought to the boil. Other experts claim that in order to mash potatoes the potatoes must first be baked in their skin and then peeled and mashed. Some people say that milk or cream added to mashed potatoes must be heated, still others claim that baking soda needs to be added when mashing to make them lighter and fluffier (but this does break down some of the vitamins and shouldn’t be encouraged). It’s up to what you prefer to do! See boiling and mashing for our tips.

Why do some potatoes brown better when making them into fries or wedges?
This is due to the sugar level in the potatoes. Potatoes with a naturally high sugar level will brown a lot faster that those with a low sugar level. This is why processing manufacturers are particularly careful to monitor sugar levels. Sugar levels are higher in new potatoes before the sugar is converted to starch.

Why do some potatoes have a hole in the centre?
This is called hollow heart. You sometimes see this in small potatoes, but it is much more likely in large or over mature potatoes. They are safe to eat.

Is Potatoes New Zealand Inc responsible for the quality of Potatoes and Potato Products sold in retail outlets?
Potatoes New Zealand is an industry body representing growers, processors, seed merchants and exporters. We don’t grow, process or sell potatoes and potato products. We are passionate about the quality of potatoes and potato products, such as fresh potatoes, crisps, hot and frozen fries sold in New Zealand. And we are keen to hear if consumers are experiencing problems with quality. However we are not responsible for the quality of produce and products sold in retail outlets. If a consumer experiences problems with quality of fresh potatoes, or frozen fries, or hot fries purchased from a retailer or fast food outlet, they should contact the seller directly. As a consumer you have the right to purchase goods that are fit for purpose. If you are not happy with the response from the seller, then contact the grower or manufacturer using the address details on the packaging. If there are no address or contact details on the packaging we are not able to help consumers identify where the potatoes where grown, or where the fries were manufactured – only the retailer will know. Having said this, we are still keen to hear – do send us photos or even samples. We will relay the problems to wider industry to try and ensure that it doesn’t happen again. We understand how passionate people are about potatoes and potato products and we are seeking to ensure consumers get the best quality possible.

I have a potential export opportunity for Fresh Potatoes – what are the first steps to take?
Exporting fresh potatoes is possible from New Zealand but there are strict phytosanitary rules governing the entry of potatoes in foreign counties. The first step is to establish what the ICPR (Importing Countries Phytosanitary Requirements) are for the destination country. ICPRs are documents published by the New Zealand Ministry of Primary Industries to help exporters find and meet other countries’ importing requirements for plants and plant products, see here for more information.

You will need to check the country’s requirements for importation and what the import health requirements are. It is best to contact a Potato Exporter to help facilitate the process. Here is a list of exporters.

I wish to buy New Zealand potatoes and frozen fries for my country, can you help me find a New Zealand exporter?
Potatoes NZ Inc. is not directly involved in commercial exporting activities such as promoting or selling into export markets, our Export Market Development Group does however investigate and assist in the development of markets and to open up access to new markets for fresh New Zealand table, processing and seed potatoes.

In order to import New Zealand potatoes, an importer must either;

• be (or become) registered with Potatoes NZ Inc. as a potato exporter;
• purchase the NZ potatoes from an exporter registered with Potatoes NZ Inc. Here is a list of exporters.

If you wish to contact our registered exporters directly, please email nppbhagf@cbgngbrfam.pb.am

European grade of fries are AAA, AA and A, what is the New Zealand grading?
New Zealand has the same export grading standard as Europe, but do not have a quality ranking.

European potato variety are Bintje, Innovator and Diamant. What is the well-known potato variety in New Zealand , from the highest quality to low? Innovator, Russet Burbank and Shepody.

Does every producer select one type of potato variety to make special type of French fries? Yes.

Is Glyphosate used in the potato industry?

• Glyphosate is often used to spray off other crops, eg pasture prior to ground preparation before potato production
• Glyphosate is not used directly on potatoes as it causes significant yield and quality losses
• Spray off of crops to control tuber size is primarily done using diquat
• Potatoes New Zealand growers follow strict and food safe residue limits which can be found on this website here.

How do I export frozen fries?
Contact either of one of our three processor members, Talleys, McCain or Mr Chips.
There is no requirement from Potatoes New Zealand for prospective exporters of frozen fires.
It is a commercial transaction and Potatoes New Zealand has no involvement in the process.