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AMERICAN POTATO JOURNAL
[Vol. 44
NEWS A N D REVIEWS REVOLUTIONARY METHOD OF MAKING FRENCH FRIES A dramatic development that bids to revolutionize one of the most popular of all restaurant menu items french fried potatoes, has been introduced to the national food service market by J. Hungerford Smith Company, Inc., Victor, N. Y., a subsidiary of United Fruit Company. Called FastFries, the new product offers service operators significant advantages, including dry storage, 90-second frying time, reduced shrinkage, up to 2-hour holding time after frying, and year-round uniformity of product and price. "FastFries should ultimately become an important factor in the $610 million yearly food service market for potatoes," reported Robert E. Gillis, FastFries project manager. More than a year of field testing has gone into the development of FastFries. The purpose was to make sure that the product meets the twin objectives of new economies for the food service operator and an unexcelled french fried potato for the patron. FastFries are made with a potato mix and a unique dispenser. The dry mix is prepared by combining it with cold tap water in one of the cylinders provided with the dispenser. To dispense, the operator pulls a lever to force the reconstituted mix through a forming plate. Uniform potato strips emerge from the dispenser, ready to be fried and served. Frying takes only 90 seconds. Forming plates are presently available to make either standard ~ - i n c h french fries or shoestrings. Gillis said that FastFries mix is now available for all types of drive-ins, restaurants, hotels, and other institutions, including hospitals, schools, industrial caterers, and military installations. Since FastFries are all of identical thickness, all are cooked to exactly the same degree of doneness, resulting in a uniformly appetizing appearance with no slivers or other waste. "Close to 700 million pounds of French fries are served annually to the American public when it eats out, and 70% of this is consumed by the younger generation," Gillis said. He listed FastFries advantages as follows: Shorter cooking time - - 90 seconds, compared with 4 to 9 minutes for pre-blanched frozen potatoes, and 8 to 12 minutes for raw potatoes. Dry storage - - Shelf life of up to 18 months. Less storage space - - Based on yield, FastFries mix needs only the cubic foot of storage required for frozen potatoes. Reduced frying shrinkage - - Approximately 20%, against 25% for frozen potatoes. Increased holding time after frying - - Up to 2 hours, compared with 30 minutes for either frozen or raw potatoes. The cost of Fastfries is approximately the same as the cost of frozen potatoes. But because of the economies, the "as served" cost of FastFries is always lower. H e noted, too, that FastFries make it possible for the food service operator to increase his French fry capacity and serving speed. An entire
1967 ]
BULK HANDLING
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rush hour supply can be made, fried, and stacked in advance. FastFries will stay crisp and flavorful for up to two hours under heat lamps. Gillis said that the food service market for Fastfries is virtually unlimited. Among the major users of French fries are drive-ins, which purchase $65 million worth of potatoes per year; multi-unit feeder chains, $95 million; fast food chains, $23 million; and institutions (hotels, motels, hospitals, schools, military agencies, transportation firms), $450 million. BUI.K H A N D L I N G SYSTEM FOR SPRING CROP POTATOES A cost-saving method for handling spring potatoes is reported in a new U. S. Department of Agriculture publication. Developed and tested by marketing specialists in USDA's Agricultural Research Service, a new bulk-dumping system shows potential for reducing costs incurred in bulk-handling potatoes. In contrast with most fall-crop potatoes, spring potatoes are marketed shortly after harvest and are not moved into long-term storage. Instead, spring-crop potatoes are hauled from the mechanical harvester, shifted into temporary storage and moved to the packing line. The new publication compares 3 handling methods for getting these potatoes from the harvester to the packing line. The bulk-dumping system, which is recommended, uses dump trucks for hauling the potatoes and bins especially designed for receiving the potatoes and fluming them to the packing line. The conventional system uses hopper-body trucks and sloping-bottom bins.. The third system tested uses pallet boxes and a tractor forklift. Cost for handling 100,000 pounds based on a total annual volume of 7.9 million pounds, was $88.14 for the bulk-dumping system, $102.71 for the hopper-body and sloping-bottom system, and $106.59 for the pallet box system. The bulk-dumping system would save about $1,100 per year, as compared with the hopper-body and sloping-bottom bin system, and allow better use of equipment. For instance, the bulk-dumping system uses flatbed dmnp trucks which can be used for many other jobs during the off-season. Hopper-body trucks can be used only 8 to 10 weeks of the year. For full details, including pictures and diagrams, request a copy of the 35-page Marketing Research Report No. 761, "Bulk Handling Spring Crop Potatoes From Harvester to Packing Line," from the Transportation and Facilities Research Division, ARS, USDA, Federal Center Building, Hyattsville, Md. 20782. Please include your zipcode. A NEW LUBRICANT AND R E L E A S E AGENT META-THERM LR-9 is a versatile, edible, lubricant and release agent specifically formulated for the Food Industry, and complies with U. S. Food & Drug Regulations. I.R-9 exhibits far better anti-wear lubricating properties than do
