Researchers Discover Breakthrough in Creating Healthier Potato Chips
Scientists at Michigan State University Unveil Mechanism to Reduce Harmful Substances in Cold-Stored Potatoes
In a significant milestone for the snack food industry, a team of scientists led by Michigan State University professors Jiming Jiang and David Douches has made a groundbreaking discovery in the field of cold-stored potato research. By identifying a gene responsible for cold-induced sweetening (CIS), the researchers are paving the way for the development of new potato varieties that promise tastier, healthier, and safer potato chips and fries.
Addressing Health and Quality Concerns
Potato chips and fries are a multi-billion-dollar market in the United States alone, and the demand for consistent potato supply throughout the year poses challenges for farmers and snack food manufacturers. Cold storage of potatoes is a common practice, but it leads to the conversion of starches to sugars during a process called cold-induced sweetening. This conversion, in turn, results in darkened snacks and the formation of acrylamide, a known carcinogenic compound.
By uncovering the gene responsible for CIS and understanding the regulatory element that triggers its activity in cold temperatures, the research team aims to create potato varieties naturally resistant to CIS. Developing potatoes that do not produce toxic compounds when processed under cold storage conditions could revolutionize the snack food industry and significantly reduce health risks associated with acrylamide consumption.
Years of Research and Collaborative Efforts
Lead researcher Jiming Jiang, who has focused on potato research for over two decades, initiated his work on minimizing acrylamide in potato chips and fries while at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Building upon his previous findings, Jiang and his team collaborated with scientists across Michigan State University’s campus to investigate the specific elements controlling the CIS gene. With the help of world-class potato breeding facilities and the expertise of Dr. David Douches, the director of the MSU Potato Breeding and Genetics Program, the research team made significant progress in their quest for CIS-resistant potato lines.
Benefits Extend Beyond Snack Food Quality
The implications of the researchers’ work on potato quality and health are far-reaching. Besides improving the taste and health profile of snack foods, minimizing acrylamide formation in potatoes opens possibilities for the production of other processed starchy foods with reduced health risks. Additionally, the development of cold-resistant potatoes offers advantages such as increased flexibility in storage and transportation, as well as reduced food waste and costs.
With the tremendous achievements made in this research, Jiang believes that CIS-resistant potato varieties could soon become available commercially, potentially affecting the potato chip industry worldwide.
Reference
Pushing the boundaries of potato science, the researchers’ findings were published in the esteemed scientific journal The Plant Cell on February 20, 2024. The study titled “Molecular dissection of an intronic enhancer governing cold-induced expression of the vacuolar invertase gene in potato” was authored by Xiaobiao Zhu, Airu Chen, Nathaniel M Butler, Zixian Zeng, Haoyang Xin, Lixia Wang, Zhaoyan Lv, Dani Eshel, David S Douches, and Jiming Jiang.
