Over the past two weeks, companies based in Canada, the UK and Sweden have launched a range of new potato-based food products.

Potatoes have many unique properties as a food – their rich portfolio of antioxidants and vitamins as well as being gluten and lactose free make for an attractive ingredient for the food industry.

As the past two weeks prove, there is no shortage of food innovation with this crop.

Protein

UK-based Branston has started work on a new £6m facility, which will be used to extract high grade plant protein from potatoes.

The commercial factory is the first of its kind in the UK and will see the introduction of bespoke technologies and capabilities to meet the growing demand for plant-based ingredients.

Branston directors breaking ground at Branston for new Potato Protein Extraction Plant build

The facility will convert potatoes into clean-label functional protein, which can be used in vegetarian and vegan foods. It will also generate starch-based products for a range of manufacturing applications.

Milk alternative

Swedish-based company Veg of Lund has also recently launched a new brand of potato-based dairy alterative called DUG.

DUG is a potato-based milk alternative aimed at the vegan market. The milk alternative is described as ‘deliciously creamy, perfectly foamy, super sustainable and versatile’ and is available in three flavours.

DUG comes in three flavours

The company claims that this is the world’s first-ever plant-based milk alternative made from potatoes. The brand is already available in Sweden and has just launched in the UK through Amazon.

Beer

Last week, Canadian based Establishment Brewing Company launched a new beer brewed with potatoes.

The beer, called This Spud’s For You, is an American lager and is claimed to be similar in style to beer made by a variety multinational beer companies, being brewed with a higher sugar concentration and then diluted with water.

The beer is a traditional wheat beer with potatoes added to the mash and is described as being a little bit crisper due to the starchy and sugary nature of the potatoes.