Dive Brief:
- McCain Foods USA has put a much-anticipated $100 million expansion of its potato-processing plant in Burley, ID, on hold.
- Local officials say the company is reevaluating market conditions and has suspended work on the expansion.
- The project was expected to create 100 jobs.
Dive Insight:
McCain Foods USA is the U.S. unit of Toronto-based McCain Foods. The company is the world's largest producer of french fries.
We're unaware of any major change in the consumption of french fries. If anything, one could guess that North American sales are steady and that export markets in Asia would be growing. But something, apparently, is amiss. Unfortunately, McCain is privately held -- and is not obliged to release much information on how it views market conditions.