Potatoes… - Bayer CropScience

Some tips for
preparing potatoes
• Cooking in a little water with the
skin left on is the best way of
preserving the nutritional value of
potatoes during preparation.
• In order to avoid loss of vitamins,
boiled potatoes shouldn’t be kept
warm for too long.
• Potatoes should always be stored
in the dark, under cool, dry
conditions (although not in the
refrigerator). The optimal storage
temperature for potatoes is
about 4°C.
with its skin contains 15 mg vitamin C per
100 g, which is slightly more than an apple
does (10 mg). A 200 g portion of potato
covers 28% of an adult’s daily vitamin C
requirement. But this high content can
decrease considerably during long storage,
or if the potatoes are prepared and cooked
in the wrong way. Potatoes are also a good
source of the water-soluble B-vitamins and
niacin. Regarding minerals, potatoes have
a high potassium content, and at the same
time, a low sodium content. This is why the
potato is often recommended in special
diets. Ten percent of the recommended
daily intake of magnesium can be covered
by a 200 g portion of potato. Phosphorus
and iron are also present in significant concentrations.
Incidentally, the high vitamin
C-content encourages the uptake of iron
into the blood.
Courier: Nutritional science has been
focussing a lot on secondary plant
substances recently. Do potatoes
contain secondary plant substances
Sulzer: Secondary plant substances arise
as the result of the plant’s metabolism. This
group is thought to comprise 60-100,000
chemically-different substances. They serve
the plant in many ways: for colouration; in
defence against pests and diseases; and as
aromas. For people, they can have a variety
of health-promoting effects: for example
by stimulating the immune system and
defence against infection, and by preventing
the oxidation of other substances. Potatoes
contain their share of secondary substances:
mainly carotenoids, polyphenols,
protease-inhibitors, phytic acids und
anthocyanins. But depending on how the
potatoes are prepared, some secondary
substances can be inactivated. For example,
simmering causes protease-inhibitors
to lose their activity entirely.
Courier: Has this new knowledge of the
potato’s nutritional value led to a change
of perception among consumers
Sulzer: In 2005, we conducted a market
survey of consumers to investigate the
potato’s image. A total of more than 1,000
heads of households throughout Germany
aged 18 or older were questioned in personal
interviews. The study showed that
the potato is still today a valued part of our
diet. Around two-thirds of households
cook fresh potatoes several times a week.
The versatile spud, which enjoys a high
level of popularity here in Germany, is
predominantly seen as a well-proven, traditional
and important basic food. But a
change of image is under way between the
generations: older consumers are more
likely to consider the potato to be a modern,
up-to-date product than the younger
consumer. Indeed, the potato is losing its
relevance in the diets of younger households.
Courier: How do you see the potato’s
future in terms of consumer behaviour
Sulzer: People’s interest in being able to
prepare dishes quickly and easily will be
the main driver in the continuing move
towards processed potato products. The
potato will also score points in future
because of the numerous ways of preparing
it. There’s a potato dish available for every
taste: chips, mashed potato, dumplings,
fried potato, gnocchi etc. There’s no limit
to how potatoes can be prepared.
Courier: Mrs Sulzer, let’s end
with a personal question: what’s your
favourite potato dish
Sulzer: Coming as I do from Bavaria, my
favourite dish since childhood has been
potato dumplings with lots of sauce. But
preparing the dumplings from scratch is
too much work for me, so I tend to go for
the ready-mixed dumplings from the cold
compartment. ■
1/08 COURIER 11