Potato Flakes

Sunday, August 5, 2012

 

During the 1940s, convenience foods had become increasingly popular. Frozen and canned foods became plentiful, and researchers also looked to dehydration as a way to preserve food and minimize storage and transportation costs. Although the Incas first dehydrated potatoes a thousand years ago, dehydrated potatoes in the U.S. were limited to granules, which were difficult to rehydrate. During the summer of 1953, research by USDA scientists led to the formulation of easily re-hydrated and tasty potato flakes, providing a quick, convenient staple.

And so it was, on this date in 1958, that employees began their first full day of work at a Grand Forks manufacturing plant that utilized state of the art technology to turn the state’s bumper potato crop into convenient, instant mashed potatoes – the world’s first potato flake plant.

 

Dakota Datebook written by Jayme Job

 

Sources:

http://acswebcontent.acs.org/landmarks/landmarks/dehydration/cooks.html

http://www.ndstudies.org/articles/economic_development_news

http://foodimentary.com/2011/08/04/august-4-national-chocolate-chip-cookie-day-todays-food-history/

http://www.mountain-plains.org/pubs/pdf/MPC01-123.pdf