Maintenance of Potato Processing Quality by Chemical Maturity Monitoring (CMM)

Abstract

Monitoring the chemical maturity of potatoes during development, at harvest and in storage can help minimize losses from immaturity and/or stress effects that influence processed product color (Le., chips and fries). Chemica l maturity monitoring (CMM) is the first commercially feasible method to rapidly measure the chemical maturity of a potato field, on the basis of sugar content. CMM involves analysis of tuber sucrose and glucose content using the Yellow Springs Instrument (YSI), model 27, industrial analyzer in combination with a standard chip test. Potatoes reach "chemical maturity" during a normal growth process when free sugars drop to a minimum level for processing. This bulletin provides a series of managem ent suggestions for situations commonly experienced in the field, at harvest, or in storage. These suggestions have evolved from several years of consulting with the potato industry on minimizing the detrimental effects of reducing sugars on final product quality.