Ashwani Sharma People,particularly the poor,may have learnt to live without onions for a while with the vegetable either not available in markets or being sold at sky high prices. If onions add to taste,potatoes are another thing,part of the staple diet across India and many people just cannot do without it. Even diabetics,for whom potatoes are taboo,find it hard to keep away from them. Shimla-based Central Potato Research Institute (CPRI) may have found a solution to their problem. The institute,says its director Bir Pal Singh,has developed and tested a technology that helps in maintaining low glycemic index (GI) for a potato variety,thus suitable for diabetics. Normally,potatoes have high GI,which means conversion of starch into glucose (sugar) is faster. After eating potatoes.blood sugar levels rise very quickly. We got data of analysis done by National Institute of Nutrition (NIN),a public health and biotechnology centre at Hyderabad,and then tried to evolve a technology that slows down conversion of starch into sugar for potatoes preserved in cold storage. It has worked wonders, says Singh. Explaining,CPRI Director claimed potatoes kept in cold storage at 3 to 4 degree temperature are most risk-prone for diabetics. This is a result of high GI caused by enzyme invertase. If the activity of invertase is suppressed by raising temperature to 10 to 12 degrees,potatoes will become relatively safer for diabetics. CPRI has not so far released potato variety Kufri Chipsona (a series) on which tests have been performed successfully but scientists who developed the technology after six years of research and trials both in the lab and fields termed it a major breakthrough in promoting potatoes and potato products for India's health-conscious consumers. Its going to be very useful for the food processing industry waiting to encash on such a scientific breakthrough. We have already written to the Government of India (GoI) seeking approval to release the new varieties having low glycemic index. CPRI has applied for patent rights for this research, says Singh. CPRI has so far released at least 50 varieties of potatoes,including varieties specific to certain regions based on geography and climate,beside a few varieties particularly suitable for making chips and french fries. The institute has MoUs with 19 agricultural universities in the country for research collaboration for increasing production and coming up with disease-free potato varieties. The CPRI has enabled Himachal Pradesh to make its mark in production of disease-free potatoes in high-altitude areas like Lahual-Spiti,which had high demand in states like Gujarat,West Bengal,Orissa,Bihar and Uttar Pradesh. But of late,farmers have shifted to high-quality potatoes to meet the demand from food processing industries. If CPRI gets its sugar-free potato varieties released,the department will definitely promote it and make arrangements for market tie-ups, says J C Rana,Director (Agriculture). He referred to reports about some private companies in Gujarat encouraging farmers to cultivate low-sugar high-yield potatoes and asked CPRI to act fast and reach out to farmers with the new potato varieties.
