Infra-red heating and blanching, meeting today's food safety regulatory demands, innovative sorting solutions, enzymes against acrylamide and working out the real cost of ownership kept delegates busy at the fina l day of the 2011 International Potato Processing and Storage Convention in Denver, Colorado.

With speakers coming from academia and research or from companies and associations in the food processing industry, the topics discussed were wide-ranging and, in some cases, ground-breaking.

Zhongli Pan outlined advances in research and testing of infra-red heating which were both cost-saving and could offer healthier products while Isaac Ashie and Ibhrahim Abbas addressed the use of enzymes and other ingredients to counter acrylamide and other ‘negatives' in potato processing. There was also much discussion on regulatory demands with speakers and delegates like Frank Magazine, Shari Plimpton, Clark Hicks and Jim McCarthy debating government and international food safety measures and their affect on the industry at large.

Tim Reardon's innovative look at the true costs of ownership and Jim Stanley's address on how to harness renewable energy from potato waste added different dimensions to a varied day's business.

With good attendance at all sessions during its three days and good opportunities for networking, delegates rated the 2011 convention as one of the best yet, commenting, in particular, about the high quality of speakers.

A full report on the convention will appear in the next issues of Potato Processing International and Potato Storage International.