Paul Swanson authored an article in the September/October issue of American Bar Association’s Landslide magazine titled “No Small Potatoes: Patenting Spuds in an Era of Gene Silencing.” Swanson discusses the potato’s history and patentable status in the U.S., as well as recently issued patents. He also illustrates the trajectory of potato processing conundrums and innovations, and closes the article with an altered paradigm for analyzing GMO food labeling issues through a more inclusive metric — food satisfaction.
Recently issued patents reveal what kind of potato processing innovations merit patent protection. While the dense text of patent specifications can be off-putting, their details often pinpoint and describe basic production problems confronting an industry or market segment.