Potato cultivars (Solanum tuberosum L.) apt to shoestring processing

• Grant number: 12/22699-3
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants
• Start date: May 01, 2013
• End date: April 30, 2015
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Agronomy - Crop Science
• Principal Investigator: Paulo Cesar Tavares de Melo
• Grantee: Paulo Cesar Tavares de Melo
• Host Institution: Escola Superior de Agricultura Luiz de Queiroz (ESALQ). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Piracicaba , SP, Brazil
• Associated researchers: Joaquim Gonçalves de Pádua ; Marta Helena Fillet Spoto

Abstract

Potatoes are one of the most important food worldwide and are economically very important. Brazilian's growth area is nearly 152.000 hectares and the production estimate is of 2,58 million tones. The South and Southeast regions have the highest production. Due to worldwide changes in lifestyle, the consumption of conventionally produced potatoes have been increasing throughout the years. The potatoes are very versatile for culinary purposes. The variety and volume contributes to the sector's growth. The industrial demand is continuous and stimulates the productive sector. Brazilian people prefer the frying preparation. To ensure the quality in frying preparation, the tubers must have high dry matter levels, low sugar levels and adequate shape for each kind of processing. These characteristics combined ensure the quality of the processed product. The culinary aptitude study allows to classify the tubers for frying or baking. The culinary aptitude is determined by frying tests, baking tests and the physicochemical's characteristics investigation of each cultivar. The shoestring and chips frying processing has as obstacle in the low quality of the feedstock. Furthermore, there is great lack of studies in the production chain of shoestring potatoes. With this project it will be possible to determine which of the studied cultivars are best capable for shoestring potato processing. (AU)