Mashed potatoes

Description of product

The first powdered mashed potatoes were available on the market already sixty years ago. The product is sold as convenience food made from peeled and cooked potatoes. Further ingredients include milk, milk products, table salt, spices, herbs and flavours. The powder is added to a mixture of hot water and milk and is ready for consumption as mash after a few minutes of cooking.

The following information also is valid for other convenience products made from potatoes, such as potato pancakes.

Production: the tubers are washed, cooked and blanched; subsequently they are dried, ground, seasoned and packed.

• See also: french fries

Possible application of gene technology

Applications of gene technology are possible in the following ingredients that commonly are found in mashed potatoes. However, the extent to which a particular product is affected by these possibilities cannot be stated with certainty:

• milk
• starch and modified starch
• antioxidation agent ascorbic acid
• emulgators , e.g. mono- and diglycerides
• food colouring riboflavin
• seasonings and flavourings
• flavour enhancer (glutamate)
• acidifier citric acid