EAST LANSING, Mich. (AP) — The science behind a bag of potato chips is more intricate than one might assume. Researchers have dedicated decades to developing potato varieties specifically suited for chip manufacturers. These new strains are engineered to endure various climates, resist diseases and pests, and maintain freshness and crunch even after extended storage. Additionally, shifts in consumer preferences, including a rising demand for snack-size portions, have led to the creation of smaller chipping potatoes.
David Douches, a Michigan State University professor who leads the Potato Breeding and Genetics Program, emphasizes the dynamic nature of the potato industry. "The needs change, the costs, the pressures that they have, and the markets change. So we have to adapt to that with our varieties," he states. Over the past 15 years, Douches has developed five new potato varieties tailored for chips. His latest innovation is a bioengineered potato capable of maintaining optimal sugar levels when stored at lower temperatures, which helps prevent rot. Currently, he is cultivating seeds for commercial testing, although the potato is not yet available in the market.
Douches’ work not only contributes to fighting global hunger by providing disease-resistant potato varieties for farmers in countries like Nigeria, Kenya, Rwanda, and Bangladesh, but it also supports U.S. chip manufacturers and Michigan's $2.5 billion potato industry. While Idaho is the leading state for potato production in the U.S., Michigan ranks first in producing potatoes for chips.
According to the National Chip Program, approximately 50 unique potato varieties are cultivated for chips in the United States today. This cooperative includes Michigan State University and 11 other university breeding programs, potato growers, chip manufacturers, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The program continuously evaluates new potato varieties, assessing around 225 new strains each year, from which about 100 are chosen for further trials, as stated by Tim Rendall, the director of production research at Potatoes USA.
The collaboration between researchers, farmers, and potato chip companies is relatively rare in the food industry. Phil Gusmano, the vice president of purchasing at Better Made Snack Foods, which has been producing potato chips in Detroit since 1930, notes, "We were able to talk about size profile and different needs that make a really good chip." He appreciates Douches’ willingness to listen to feedback, stating that if developers don’t tailor potatoes for processors' needs, it becomes counterproductive.
Developing a new potato variant can take up to 15 years due to the complexity of the potato's genetic structure, which contains four chromosomes per cell, unlike most species that have two. This complicates the task of predicting which traits will be inherited by cross-bred plants. "We’re never able to fix a trait and carry that over to the next generation," Douches explains, highlighting the challenges in finding potatoes that embody the desired traits.
Douches became interested in potato breeding during his graduate studies and has since specialized in chipping potatoes, given Michigan's significant output. Approximately 70% of Michigan's potato crop is designated for chip processing, with the Michigan Ag Council estimating that one in every four bags of potato chips produced in the U.S. contains potatoes from Michigan.
A significant challenge in Douches' four-decade career has been breeding potatoes that can be stored for nearly a year. Traditionally, after harvesting, potatoes were stored in massive piles at around 50 degrees Fahrenheit (10 degrees Celsius). However, cooler temperatures can raise sugar levels, leading to darker chips, while warmer conditions can result in rot. "You think they’re just these inanimate objects, but they actually are respiring and breathing," Douches remarks about the care needed in storing potatoes, which have a limited “happy” storage window of two to three days under unsuitable conditions.
The Manistee variety released in 2013 can be stored safely until July at 45°F (7.2°C), while Douches' new bioengineered potato can withstand storage at 40°F (4.4°C). Gusmano shared that Better Made previously relied on importing potatoes from outside Michigan for half the year as harvested potatoes only lasted until February. Thanks to newer varieties like the Mackinaw potato, which can now be stored until July and is resistant to several diseases, the company has reduced reliance on distant sources.
“We’re not shipping potatoes from all over the country to be fried here in Michigan,” Gusmano states, instead highlighting the local sourcing of potatoes that can be shipped from only an hour and a half away year-round.
