Innovative value-added new products roll into supermarkets and onto menus: like May flowers, value-added spud specialties are popping up all over the landscape this spring, as supermarket freezer cases warm up consumers with hot potato offerings.

Germans are potato lovers, to be sure. They like them big, small, sliced, diced, shredded, fried and oven baked. At the retail store level, potato products accounted for 16% of all frozen food sales in the Federal Republic during 2007--ranking third overall categorically, behind Vegetable/Herbs (20.5%) and Pizza (16.3%)--according to A.C. Nielsen.

Total turnover generated from retail frozen spud sales edged up by 1.23% last year. However, as volume was relatively flat (at -0.1%), producers of value-added potato products are keen on stimulating renewed interest and driving more foot traffic by rolling out a bevy of innovative new products.

Wildeshausen/Aldrup-headquartered Agrarfrost GmbH & Co. KG (Phone: 49 4434/87-0) is off to a fast start already with the introduction of Prinzess Kartofelchen (precooked buttered baby potatoes) presented in convenient 300-gram microwaveable steaming pouches. It has also brought out Knusper Safari animal-shaped potato treats in 450-gram bags for kids, and like-size packages of Knusper Bluten "Flower Power" Potato-Vegetable Rosti for children and adults alike.

Agrarfrost promotes the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) on Knusper Safari products, packaging of which profiles the WWF logo and an image of a panda bear munching on bamboo. Each purchase of a 450-gram bag of the spud specialty results in a five euro cent donation from the company to the non-government organization's campaign to save endangered animal species and protect their natural habitat.

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In June and July, just in tinge to heat up summer sales, Agrarfrost will do its part to add free to the barbecue grilling season with the introduction of a spicy potato side dish, Chili Rosti. In September, advised Manfred Wulf, managing director, the focus will be on the Kraueter Kartoffeln line of potato chunks accented with aromatic herbs and spices including rosemary, basil and pepper. Then, come November, a stick-to-your-ribs R6sti Pasteten offering of thin-sliced, mini potato pies featuring ragout filling will be on the retail menu.

Ongoing promotions will be utilized throughout the year to boost volume, ranging from special bonus size packages of Kartoffel Puffer (potato pancakes), Country Steak Fries and other items featuring 20% to 33% more product, to free portions of apple sauce, gratis gourmet spoons, pens and other premiums, said Lorenz Mestwerdt, export manager.

Oven fries dominated the German retail scene in 2007, claiming a 53% share of the market in volume terms. Croquettes rang up 11% of the sales, followed by 10% for french fries, 8% for potato pancakes, and 5% for hash browns. The "other products" classification, which presumably included value-added rosti items, accounted for 13% of turnover last year, according to A.C. Nielsen figures.

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As for sales value, croquettes advanced the most at 9.25%. Fries were down by 1.7%, while hash browns advanced by 7.5% and pancakes rose 6.6%.

On the foodservice front, McCain GmbH (Phone: +49 6196/90 02-0) has added a number of new products to its wide assortment. Among them are Potato Cubes and Roasted Potatoes under the Original Nature line, along with Fry 'n' Dip fries in the Special Choice range, and Italian Potato Rings with Basil in the Potato Pickers' line. These specialties were part of a raft of new items that the Eschborn-based company profiled at the recently held Internorga restaurant and catering trade fair in Hamburg.

But as man does not live by spuds alone, a variety of non-potato finger foods were served up at the show as well. They included Pesto Mozzarella Melters, Cheddar & Pasta Nuggets, Beer Battered Hot Onion Scoopers and Crispy Pickle Bottle Caps, Chicken Onion Mini Brochette, Sweet Honey Mustard Wings, and Fryer Hot Wings.

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"Like our popular jalapeno and cheese-filled Poppers products, the McCain Golden Pickers' concept of easy-to-prepare and enjoy snacks and side dishes has been well received by restaurant and cafeteria operators," said Ursula Lanzendorf, the company's public relations manager. "This is in large part due to the diversification of our offerings, which range from vegetable- and cheese-, to meat- and potato-based finger foods."

Farm Frites International BV, the Oudenhoorn, Holland-headquartered value-added potato specialist, is targeting the German market with a number of innovative products. Chief among them is Nature's Goodness Frites, which are distributed in 2.5 kilo bags designed to resemble the look of burlap bags in which bulk whole potatoes are shipped and purchased by consumers in supermarkets. Inside the award winning packaging are fries containing 50% less fat and 30% fewer calories than most conventional pommes frites found on the market.

"This healthy eating product does not sacrifice the good flavor that potato eaters want to enjoy, however. It tastes good and is good for you too," said Nico Hoogmoed, commercial director in charge of Germany and Scandinavia. "We are anticipating good sales in the German market, as well in Denmark, Sweden and beyond."

Access to Raw Materials More Important than Ever

One thing that successful potato marketers have always known, and which became all the more apparent to buyers last year, is that access to and control of raw materials is increasingly paramount for those in the processing business. At Agrarfrost, which grows its own seed potatoes and has long and deep roots in agriculture, a decision was taken several years ago to increase the percentage of potatoes grown by its 400 or so contract farmers on 7,000 hectares of land in Germany to approximately 80% of required needs. That's a lot of spuds, considering it processes more than 450,000 tons per annum.

The company, which generated turnover of approximately 200 million euros last year, is the nation's leading producer of frozen potato products, accounting for about half of total output. Its two plants--one, a 186,000 square meter facility near Bremen in Aldrup that concentrates on refined potato specialties; the second, a 297,000 square meter french fry and crisp operation near Magdeburg in Oschersleben--are situated in the middle of Europe's Verabeitungsgurtel potato belt, which stretches from the United Kingdom and northern France to Belgium, Holland, Germany and northern Poland.

Climate, soil and other crop conditions within the regions of Agrarfrost's factories--namely the Wildeshauser Geeset, Magdeburg Borde and the area of Hannover--are ideal for raising processing potatoes. The same goes for Phalz and Breisgau in the southwest (where the company's own Zorba variety is grown), and Baslorf and Semlow in the northeast.

"Those without access to raw materials have no future, but we are well prepared for the years ahead," confidently commented Managing Director Wulf. "To further secure supplies, we intend to extend our land holdings and work more closely with contract farmers to enhance cultivation techniques."

Agrarfrost, which employs 500 people systemwide, has 30 agricultural engineers on the job working directly with farmers in the field. Sharply focusing on sustainability, they assist in everything from supplying global satellite positioning information for coordination with planting and harvesting, to specifying equipment that lessens pressure on soil, and l-me-tuning ways to reduce the use of energy.

"Sustainability, maintaining an ecological balance and social responsibility are top management commitments," said Mr. Wulf.

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Muhlenring, Austria-based Frisch & Frost Nahrungsmittel-GES.m.b.H has kicked off two items, Natur and Chili-flavored Knusper-stangerl fries under its Bauernland label. They are aimed especially at football fans who will be cheering their teams while watching European championship games on television in pubs, restaurants and home entertainment rooms. Retail packaging, which contains a kilogram of fries ready to serve after 10 minutes of oven baking, spotlights a soccer ball in flight.

Like Agrarfrost, Frisch & Frost (Phone: +43 2952/23 35) supplies the fast food industry as well as retail and industrial accounts. Its proprietary retail line is sold under the Bauernland brand, and ranges from Pommes Frites and Knusper Pommes in 750-gram bags to 2.5-kilogram sacks of Pommes Allumettes and Kringel Frites for cash & carry and wholesale outlets.

It also distributes an assortment of bio potato products, along with organic vegetable- and soya-stuffed strudels. Most strudels, however which run the gamut of fillings from apple and cream cheese to strawberry yogurt--are marketed under the company's Toni Kaiser label.

In business since 1960, the daughter company of RWA employs 250 people and obtains potato raw materials from a network of 450 farmers in Austria. Frisch & Frost packs approximately 100,000 tons of spud products per year. About 50% of production is exported--much of it to Germany, but also to markets in the Middle East such as the United Arab Emirates.

"Each package of frozen potatoes we sell contains the name and address of the farmer who supplied the raw material," pointed out Oliver F. Wogou, the company's key account manager for Germany. "We believe in total traceability, and in clearly spelling it out for the consumer to read.

Van de Ven named New CEO, succeeds Gerritsen at Aviko

Martin van de Ven, 53, took over on April 1 as chief executive officer of Aviko, one of the world's largest potato processors, succeeding Wim Gerritsen.

In his new capacity Mr. Van de Ven will remain a member of the executive board of Royal Cosun, Aviko's corporate parent, as well as become responsible for Aviko's national and international activities. Since April 1985 he has worked for SVZ, another business group of Royal Cosun. He was appointed general manager of SVZ and a member of Cosun's executive board on Jan. l, 2000.

Mr. Gerritsen, 60, who stood down as ceo of Aviko at the end of March, has worked for the company since 1971, and held a variety of management positions.

John M. Saulnier

QFFI Chief Editor & Publisher