The search for the perfect french fry is a quest that may know no end, but that won’t keep McDonald’s from searching. That’s right, according to an article by the Associated Press, “potato farmers, researchers and industry representatives are in the midst of an elusive hunt: finding a new spud for McDonald’s french fries.” Of course, by perfect, the subject is not only quality, but also the economic and environmental efficiency and sustainability with which it is produced.Being deemed McDonald’s worthy is quite difficult, as only three varieties of potatoes currently enjoy such privilege, and the last time a new U.S. potato variety was approved was a decade ago. According to the AP, this is what motivates and frustrates potato researches who know that riches lay behind a contract with the “Golden Arches.” Or as the Associated Press put it, “Because McDonald's buys more than 3.4 billion pounds of U.S. potatoes annually, it has the power to dictate whether a variety sprouts or winds up in the less-lucrative supermarket freezer's crinklecut bin — or worse yet, banished to become dehydrated taters.”
Here is how McDonald’s currently uses its potato varieties. First, the Canadian-bred Shepodies, which are early-maturing, are used August through September. But since the Shepody doesn’t store well, the Ranger Russet takes over in November. Umatilla Russets, the last “variety approved by McDonald’s back in 1999” is used from December until the beginning of March. At this point on, the fast-food giant turns to Russet Burbanks, which were established in 1875, and enjoys the majority of usage by McDonald's.
The Burbank receives a lot of criticism because it is costly to produce, uses lots of water, relies on chemicals to fight pests and disease, and “takes an eternity to mature [.]” Apparently the Burbank is the potato the researchers are trying to replace. The Burbank accounted for 57 percent of the planted potato acreage in Idaho, “while the variety accounted for 41 percent across the eight biggest potato-producing states.”
It appears McDonald’s is aware that the french fry it relies on most takes its toll on the environment. “In March, three activist investor groups won an agreement from McDonald’s to promote best practices to cut pesticide use by its American potato suppliers.” Thus far the groups approve of McDonald’s efforts. In fact, McDonald's is looking for a more sustainable variety that meets the taste and texture consumers have come to love. If this could be achieved the company could save on production costs while still achieving quantity and quality demands, then McDonald’s could reap even greater profits.
Or, as Mitch Smith, McDonald’s agricultural products director says in the AP article, ‘"If we can find a variety that does that, with less inputs, water or whatever, that's something we're looking for . . . To date, there are not a lot of varieties that perform consistently enough."’ And until that variety is found, the research will continue.
To read the Associated Press article, click here.
Posted: 09/23/09
