By AgWeb.com Editors

Sales of U.S. dehydrated potatoes in Japan have dropped 37 percent since May, due to the detection of genetically modified potatoes in snack products produced from U.S. and Canadian dehy.

"We' ve got to make sure the spuds we grow are certified to be GMO free," said Jon Brownell, National Potato Promotion Board (NPPB) chairman. "The board is investing $600,000 to test for GMO and to rebuild the market share weíve lost."

Adding pressure, GMO (genetically modified organisms) labeling laws will be implemented in Japan and Korea in spring 2002. The NPPB is aggressively doing its part to preserve these markets, assuring the world trade that if they require a GMO-free product that the U.S. can provide it. The board urges process growers (dehy and fry) to do the same, by testing their seed during the winter grow outs.

"If all growers of potatoes destined (or even possibly destined) for processing will plant seed certified to be GMO-free, the board and the NPC can use this as proof to the governments of Japan and Korea and to buyers worldwide that the U.S. is GMO-free in potato production. The board is working with the seed certification officials to put these systems in place," the NPPB stated.

Many processors will require commercial growers to provide actual proof that the seed they used in 2002 was GMO-free, the NPPB stated. To date, a majority of processors have instituted intensive Identity Preservation (IP) practices to try and assure that their raw product is GMO-free. They are doing random sampling on the line to check the finished product.