Strategies to reduce waste due to greening in potato tubers

In the UK, tuber greening is directly linked to 116,000 tonnes of household potato waste each year with

an associated estimated loss of £60m p.a. to UK retailers. In field losses due to tuber greening also cost

the industry £37m p.a. Greening is a significantly negative factor in consumer purchases where a 1%

increase in sales is worth £3m p.a. to producers. This project brings together partners that span the food

chain from production, through packaging, to major supermarkets who will work with academic

researchers to develop solutions to reduce tuber greening. Photobiological experiments will identify the

conditions and target genes for light-induced tuber greening informing the design of prototype

packaging film to reduce greening during storage and in store. Recently developed potato genetic

approaches will be used to identify markers for genes associated with reduced greening providing the

foundation of a longer term strategy to produce new non-greening potato varieties.