Becoming sustainable as a large or small food processor is determined by many factors: reducing costs and carbon footprint, being resilient to market fluctuations and supply chain woes, and living up to consumers’ expectations about food waste or climate change. It is a business-motivated strategic change and it cannot be done without addressing how the business is organized.

A sustainable business is an enterprise that operates in a way that minimizes its negative impact on the environment, society, and the economy. It is a business model that strives for long-term success while considering the well-being of future generations. While perfection is a constantly moving target, striving to come closer to this ideal is on everyone’s mind.

In the potato processing industry, a sustainable business has three main areas of focus: energy – both sourced and spent -, waste reduction, and ingredient sourcing.

To ensure future growth – potato processors must continue finding innovative ways to remain competitive and manage the industry’s key sustainability challenges. Managing the high cost of energy and increased commodity prices will be critical to maintaining profitability and a competitive edge in the industry.

Research and development is driving an evolution of energy-efficient food processing equipment and multiple technologies are already available which reduce fuel costs, energy waste, air pollution, and water consumption.

Optimizing water use during processing is an area that is critical for sustainability – and cost savings.

Optimizing Water Use During Processing

As a natural product, potatoes require a significant amount of water to process. Subsequently, water use is a significant cost for potato processors and in some regions, sufficient water supply for processing can also be a concern. The huge amount of water needed to peel, slice, destone, and wash potatoes prior to processing contributes to significant water consumption, organic waste, and wastewater volumes globally. But sustainable improvements, which benefit the environment, and the bottom line, are possible – through water recovery.

Processing areas of cleaning, starch management, and in some cases blanching, consume significant amounts of water. A potato chip processing line may use around 20 to 50 m3/hr of water and the corresponding amount of wastewater this generates must be disposed of often after treatment of some kind.

To read the complete article, please refer to our latest September–October 2023 print issue of Potato Processing International.