PW-ACTUA HZPC wins PotatoEurope Innovation Award ‘And the winner is: HZPC with the Potato Display Unit of the Future.’ With these words, Sharon Dijksma, State Secretary for Economic Affairs, announced the winner of the 2013 Innovation Award on the first day of PotatoEurope 2013. She pointed out the importance of good quality and the presentation of food products, which, in her view, were best shown in the winning entry. Second and third respectively were HLB with the Plantcheck app and Restrain with a product for the extension of the shelf life of packaged table potatoes. ‘Potatoes are healthy, tasty and versatile, but it is the eyes of the consumer that choose’, Dijksma knows from her own experience as a lover of potatoes. The jury was of the same opinion. ‘In the Netherlands, the consumption of fresh table potatoes has dropped by a few percent in recent years. This has nothing to do with the potato’s image, but more with other competing foods. To bring the consumption of potatoes to a higher level again, it is necessary to improve its presentation even more in the shop displays. This is also what surveys among the shopping public show. They sometimes think the potato units are messy and poorly organised. The Potato Display of the future provides clarity with colour, indicating the different cooking types. Moreover, it presents a fresh appearance, while also thinking of preserving quality. This was achieved by cooling the potatoes in the display shelves, At PotatoEurope 2013, trading company HZPC in Joure received the Next Level Innovation Award from State Secretary for Economic Affairs, Sharon Dijksma. ● and placing them under a special light to prevent discolouration’, the jury, chaired by leading LTO Nederland man Albert Jan Maat, explained. Further jury members were René van Diepen, NAO director (Dutch Potato Organisation), Jaap Delleman, editor of Potato World magazine, and Anton Haverkort, researcher at Wageningen University & Research. Fast communication The second place in the race for the Innovation Award was won by HLB for its Plantcheck app. According to the jury, this application for smart phones and tablets is an effective aid to detect pests and diseases in crops. With the help of the app, growers or advisers can make photos of an infection or pest. In addition to the photo, the app also stores GPS coordinates, name, telephone number and email address. This information is then sent to the HLB laboratory in Wijster where HLB experts can use it to give an indication of the problem. ’It’s a fast method of modern communication that appeals especially to the young entrepreneurs.’ Extend shelf life Restrain was awarded the third prize for a product that extends the shelf life of table potatoes. ‘This innovation was also aimed at improving the presentation and the quality of the table potato, which could bring consumption to a higher level again’, according to the jury. ‘What also appealed to the jury was the fact that it had not led to a price increase for the consumer.’ ● Potato display uni of the future win PotatoEurope. Potato World 2013 • number 4 13 Pagina 12
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