DENVER (December 22, 2010)— One of the largest ever USPB Frozen Potato Importer and Distributor Reverse Trade Missions (RTMs) was held October 3-9, 2010 in Washington State’s Tri-Cities and Seattle. Thirty-eight of the frozen potato industry’s important clients, as well as USPB staff, traveled to the United States to learn about the benefits and variety of US frozen potato products. They also attended a cold-chain training session which included valuable instruction by US experts specializing in the management of temperature-controlled supply chains to extend and ensure the shelf life of US frozen potato products.
“While RTMs give broad perceptions on US potato production, the real value comes with the introduction of top quality US frozen potato products to importers and distributors,” said Susan Weller, USPB International Marketing Manager—Frozen. “RTMs are valuable industry tools, helping introduce a broad array of US frozen potato products to the international participants. Once they recognize the quality, and the variety of products available, they are next introduced to the reliable US cold-chain distribution system which enables the safe and efficient delivery of these products to foreign customers.”
US frozen potato product importers and distributors from Central America, the Dominican Republic, China, Indonesia, Malaysia, Mexico, the Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam traveled to Washington’s Tri-Cities region for this RTM. They toured a potato harvest on the farm of USPB International Marketing Committee Member Rob Davis. Next, they toured a fresh potato packing facility, and the following day, the RTM group toured their respective frozen potato processing plants and sampled many US frozen potato products.
The following day, the group had a rail-port and trans-loading tour at the Port of Benton in Richland, WA. Touring the trans-loading facility at this port included seeing the Henningsen cold storage unit.
Also during the RTM, the international guests received cold-chain training and education from Sensitech Inc.’s International Program Manager Jesus Ponce. He presented the basics of cold-chain training practices, as it applies to US frozen potato products. The group also discussed good practices, HACCP and grading, via a USDA inspection officer. The participants also learned valuable first-hand handling techniques from USPB’s Central American food engineer. Following this instruction, the RTM participants had a dynamic cold storage tour of VersaCold Logistics Services in Tacoma, WA, the newest and most high-tech facility in the Pacific Northwest.
One tour participant from Thailand commented, “Touring these cold-chain distribution centers and facilities was an eye-opener to us. We’ll definitely benefit from this first-hand look as we move forward to implement our own cold-chain training programs. We now have an awareness of the challenges we’ll likely face, and we look forward to optimizing information and solutions in our own systems.”
The tour concluded with a full-day of potato culinary experiences, including frozen potato sensory work, and a potato treasure hunt–the search for potato trends and dishes in downtown Seattle. The finale of the RTM was an award banquet that included an all potato meal dining extravaganza from appetizer to dessert!
Source: United States Potato Board
