REDUCING SUGARS IN POTATO-TUBERS AS AN IM PORTANT FACTOR FOR PROCESSING

For potato processing, especially for the production of French fries a nd chips, tuber contents of reducing sugars are very important, as red ucing sugars negatively affect product colour and taste. Therefore, re sults of several experiments are presented showing that among differen t interactive factors effecting the content of reducing sugars in pota to tubers the variety is the most important one. Variety-specific gene tics define the upper and lower limits of possible synthesis of reduci ng sugars. Within such a pre-determined range the actual content is a question of weather conditions, site, tuber physiology (maturity) and storage temperature, these factors being of almost equal importance. T he influence of fertilization, however, seems to be overrated. The res ults show that potato growers have only three possibilities to influen ce the synthesis of reducing sugars: by choice of a suitable variety, by harvesting mature raw material, and by storing potatoes under optim um temperature conditions.