By Gemma Carroll PNZ Communications & Engagement Officer Dan Bloomer joins our 2019 Field Walks and is talking through the Page Bloomer/LandWISE project, FUTURE PROOFING VEGETABLE PRODUCTION, which covers the effectiveness of fertiliser and water application techniques. As public and government concern grows about nitrate leaching, this project will be an invaluable resource for farmers and the accountability that may arise…
Article provided by Indrawati Oey, PhD Professor of Food Science Pulsed Electric Fields (PEF) processing technology applies very short (microseconds) pulses of high voltage electricity to plant material placed between two electrodes (Oey, Roohinejad, Leong, Faridnia, Lee, & Kethireddy, 2016). In the deep-fried potato industry, potatoes can be subjected to PEF immediately after the sorting, washing and peeling step prior to cutting/slicing. The delivery of short electric pulses through the uncut (whole) potatoes during PEF processing alters the structural integrity of their tissues, which results…
By Niki Bezzant These days we hear many trends are driven by the millennials – that generation of people born between the mid-80s and early 2000s. They’re influencing what we see on our screens, what we wear, what we listen to and, more and more, what we eat. This is something I’ve heard from researchers and…
Health Promotion is the way forward by Gemma Carroll, Communications & Engagement Officer I was very interested to read the latest U.K. media on hot chips and takeaways. Advice has been given to U.K. fast food outlets, encouraging smaller portions, with reduced calories, in order to drastically reduce obesity levels. It’s the first step towards stricter requirements for traders. People can still enjoy their favourite takeaway…
By Gemma Carroll, Communications & Engagement Officer The year has started with a bang, as we head straight into planning and beginning our summer field walks. This has also resulted in a great little booklet publication, which outlines many of the Research and Development Projects, that PNZ is currently undertaking or supporting. If you miss…
The 2019 Field Walk Booklet is now available for you to view. This booklet covers all of the 2019 field walks which are being held: 13 February, Canterbury 20 February, Pukekohe & Matamata 27 February, Manawatu, Horowhenua/Levin For more information on each walk please visit our Events page.
Food Industry Enabling Technologies (FIET) will be holding a workshop at University of Otago in Dunedin to discuss the impact of Pulsed Electric Field technology on potato processing. This is a free to attend workshop. Please see more details below. FIET – PotatoesNZ workshop
Two very interesting reports have kicked off the year for anyone interested in food, health and sustainability. Which should be anyone who eats, really. The first was a piece of research from Otago University researchers, looking at the links between fibre intakes and health. The research found a link between higher intakes of dietary fibre…
Modern technology put to practical use for potato growers: A smartphone app developed by The James Hutton Institute in Scotland can help with disease identification in the field. Identifying plant diseases can be complex and difficult, as potato growers and even experienced agronomists know very well. Accurate identification and diagnosis require knowledge of the symptoms…
Recent extreme weather events such as heat and drought, and unprecedented heavy rain have resulted in reduced bulking and encouraged rotting of tubers in major potato production areas in New Zealand. These have contributed to an estimated 25% loss in production by the New Zealand potato sector last season. This agrees with results from simulation models by the International Potato Centre that global potato production…
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