New Nutrition Policy Seen as Win for Potatoes

New federal dietary guidelines released by the Trump Administration are being viewed as a positive development for the potato industry. Speaking at Potato Expo 2026, National Potato Council CEO Kam Quarles said the updated nutrition messaging signals a major shift in how potatoes are viewed by policymakers and consumers. “You take it back ten to 15 years ago, we were fighting this huge battle with the federal government, they were considering taking potatoes entirely out of the school meals programs. Now, you’ve got the federal government celebrating the nutritional importance of potatoes, we think that’s a real positive moving forward.” Quarles added that the industry will continue reviewing the full guidelines to ensure science-based decisions guide future policy. “When it comes to things like derivative products for potatoes, we want to make sure that sound science is used in evaluating those types of products as well.”