Consumer awareness of gluten as a trigger for autoimmune and other conditions has rocketed to prominence, creating both a new industry of gluten-free products and a new gluten-free menu category. While the resulting wave of gluten-free menu requests has stymied many a foodservice operator, a popular, widely available solution is always at hand: Idaho® potatoes.
And the survey says...we live in a tater nation! In a new survey by the Idaho Potato Commission (IPC), 97% of Americans said they eat potatoes and more than 81% enjoy them as a side dish, snack or main course on average of three days per week.
The Idaho Potato Commission (IPC) teamed up with six popular bloggers from across the country to each create a tantalizing new Idaho® potato recipe to vie for votes in the Virtual Side Dish Challenge. The blogger whose recipe receives the most votes will earn her local Meals On Wheels chapter a $5,000 donation from the IPC made in the blogger’s name.
The Idaho Potato Commission (IPC) comes to the rescue! As part of its Russet Recipe Rescue competition, IPC selected the recipes in the greatest need of a rescue and remade them to trim calories and fat and gain nutrition while maintaining their delicious flavor.
As the saying goes “we grow ‘em big in Idaho” and that’s no joke. On New Year’s Eve, the Idaho Potato Commission (IPC) was a sponsor of the inaugural New Year’s Eve Idaho® Potato Drop in downtown Boise, ID. The Great Big Idaho® Potato Truck, Spuddy Buddy and 40,000 revelers rang in 2014 as a 17-foot long glowing potato was lowered from a crane into the crowd as the countdown to midnight began.
The San Diego State Aztecs went up against the Buffalo Bulls to bring home the Famous Idaho® Potato Bowl ”bowl” on Saturday, December 21 in a cold-weather showdown on the blue turf in Boise, Idaho. With attendance topping 28,000, the game, now owned by ESPN, was telecast live during prime viewing time and enjoyed by more than two million fans.
Shoppers will be hoofing it over to produce aisles nationwide this February as retailers unveil their latest spud-themed creations for the Idaho Potato Commission’s 23rd annual Potato Lover’s Month Retail Display Contest. But boosting potato sales isn’t the only bonus for retailers who enter the nation’s largest vegetable display contest. The Idaho Potato Commission will give out $150,000 in cash and prizes ($34,000 in cash prizes alone) for the winning displays, and all who participate will receive a free BlueROCK wireless Bluetooth speaker with auxiliary and charging cables included.
The Idaho Potato Commission (IPC) is celebrating the holiday season in style with help from some of the country’s most beloved food bloggers – home chefs who are creating inspirational new menu ideas using Idaho® potatoes! Consumers will be able to view instructional step-by-step recipe demo videos from blogger/home chefs Nicole Presley of Presley’s Pantry, Sara O’Donnell of Average Betty, as well as La Fuji Mama, Geez Louise and more on idahopotato.com and the IPC’s YouTube channel.
It was a milestone year for RODS Racing and their biggest sponsor, the Idaho Potato Commission (IPC). With a generous $50,000 donation from the IPC, RODS Racing was able to double the size of its team to more than 100 athletes who have each pledged to raise $1,000 to help find homes in the United States for orphaned children with Down syndrome.
According to trend guru Andrew Freeman*, customers will see “haute homey” dishes–highbrow versions of classic comfort foods–on menus across the country in 2014. It’s a prediction the Idaho Potato Commission (IPC) can support wholeheartedly, since signature potato soups are a popular standby on winter menus. If the soup is served with a side of hearty potato bread, so much the better!
Sue Kennedy
Evans, Hardy & Young
(302) 547-3625
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Susan Hughes
Foodservice Consultant
415-819-6531
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Established in 1937, the Idaho Potato Commission (IPC) is a state agency that is responsible for promoting and protecting the famous "Grown in Idaho®" seal, a federally registered trademark that assures consumers they are purchasing genuine, top-quality Idaho® potatoes. Idaho's ideal growing conditions, including rich, volcanic soil, climate and irrigation differentiate Idaho® potatoes from potatoes grown in other states.
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661 South Rivershore Lane
Suite 230
EAGLE, ID 83616
Phone: 208-334-2350
Fax: 208-334-2274
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