Simplot: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 15:02, 6 July 2022

Revision as of 19:11, 9 September 2022

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The '''J. R. Simplot Company''' (commonly referred to as '''Simplot''') is an [[agrobusinessagribusiness]] company headquartered in Boise, Idaho.

== History ==

Simplot was founded in 1929 by 20-year-old [[J. R. Simplot|John Richard Simplot]] near the agricultural community of [[Declo, Idaho|Declo]] in south central [[Idaho]], United States. During the early 1940s, the business expanded, providing the military dehydrated [[onion]]s and [[potato]]es during [[World War II]]. The firm was incorporated as the J. R. Simplot Company in 1955.

Simplot made billions from the commercialization of frozen [[frenchFrench fries]] by one of its scientists, chemist Ray L. Dunlap. By the early 1970s, it was the primary supplier of frenchFrench fries to [[McDonald's]]. By 2005 it supplied more than half of all frenchFrench fries for the [[fast food]] chain.<ref>{{Cite magazine|last=O’Keefe|first=Eric|date=2019-09-28|title=Top 5 Farms with the Largest Acreage in the U.S.|url=https://www.agriculture.com/farm-management/farm-land/top-5-farms-with-the-largest-acreage-in-the-us|access-date=2021-01-20|magazine=Successful Farming|language=en}}</ref> Simplot also produces fertilizers for agriculture<ref>{{cite journal

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| issn = 0007-7135 }}</ref> the mining of which has been a cause of recent environmental concerns.

Simplot is now one of the largest [[Private company|privately owned]] companies in the world (ranked 54th in Private Companies by ''[[Forbes]]'' magazine in 2020), ⁣<ref>{{Cite web |title=America’s Largest Private Companies |url=https://www.forbes.com/largest-private-companies/list/ |access-date=2022-03-30 |website=Forbes |language=en}}</ref> with $7.6B in revenue and 13,000 employees. It has branches in [[Australia]], [[Canada]], [[Mexico]], [[China]], and several other regions. One of the major plants is in [[Caldwell, Idaho]].

[[File:J. R. Simplot Company "World's largest dehydrating plant".jpg|thumbnail|A view of the Simplot plant in Caldwell, Idaho, circa 1930-1945. The caption in the image states "World's Largest Dehydrating Plant."]]

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== Environmental record ==

In February 2002, Simplot agreed to buy equipment and pay penalties related to an unreported release of 80,000 pounds of [[sulfur dioxide|sulphur dioxide]] from a facility in [[Pocatello, Idaho]]. The company violated the [[Emergency Planning and Community Right to Know Act]] by failing to immediately notify the Power and Bannock Counties' Local Emergency Planning Committees or the State Emergency Response Commission of the release.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://yosemite.epa.gov/opa/admpress.nsf/d96f984dfb3ff7718525735900400c29/6d1ba142882c2610852570cb0075e206!OpenDocument|title=Simplot Settles Emergency Notification Case|author=Bill Dunbar|date=2002-02-20|publisher=[[United States Environmental Protection Agency]]}}</ref>

In February 2004, J.R. Simplot Company agreed to pay the [[United States Environmental Protection Agency]] $525,000 and install $2 million in air pollution control equipment to resolve violations of the federal [[Clean Air Act (United States)|Clean Air Act]] at its silica sand mining facility in [[Overton, Nevada]]. The violation occurred in 1988 when the company removed equipment required by the federal Clean Air Act to control emissions of air pollutants.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://yosemite.epa.gov/opa/admpress.nsf/89745a330d4ef8b9852572a000651fe1/feaa6ef394485d4d852570d8005e15fc!OpenDocument|title=J.R. Simplot agrees to pay EPA $525,000 to resolve Clean Air Act violations|author=Laura Gentile|date=2004-02-12|publisher=[[United States Environmental Protection Agency]]}}</ref>

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==Genetically modified potatoes==

Simplot developed the genetically modified Innate potato, which was approved by the [[United States Department of Agriculture|USDA]] in 2014<ref>{{cite news|last1=Tracy|first1=Tennille|title=Genetically Modified Potato Wins Approval From USDA|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/usda-approves-a-genetically-modified-potato-1415398524|work=Wall Street Journal|date=November 7, 2014}}</ref> and the [[Food and Drug Administration|FDA]] in 2015.<ref>{{cite web|title=Introducing Innate™ Technology|url=http://www.simplotplantsciences.com|website=simplotplantsciences.com|publisher=J. R. Simplot Company.|accessdate=22 April 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=J.R. Simplot Company Petition (13-022-01p) for Determination of Non-Regulated Status for InnateTM Potatoes with Low Acrylamide Potential and Reduced Black Spot Bruise: Events E12 and E24 (Russet Burbank); F10 and F37 (Ranger Russet); J3, J55, and J78 (Atlantic); G11 (G); H37 and H50 (H)|url=http://www.aphis.usda.gov/brs/aphisdocs/13_02201p_dea.pdf|website=aphis.usda.gov|publisher=United States Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service|accessdate=22 April 2015|date=March 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=FDA concludes Arctic Apples and Innate Potatoes are safe for consumption|url=https://www.fda.gov/NewsEvents/Newsroom/PressAnnouncements/ucm439121.htm|website=fda.gov|publisher=U.S. Food and Drug Administration|accessdate=22 April 2015|date=March 20, 2015}}</ref> It is designed to resist [[List of potato diseases|blackspot bruising]], [[browning (food process)|browning]] and to contain less of the [[amino acid]] [[asparagine]].

Asparagine can become [[acrylamide]] during the frying of potatoes and is a probable human [[carcinogen]], so reduced levels of it are desirable.<ref name="New York Times">{{cite web|last1=Pollack|first1=Andrew|title=U.S.D.A. Approves Modified Potato. Next Up: French Fry Fans|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2014/11/08/business/genetically-modified-potato-from-simplot-approved-by-usda.html|website=[[The New York Times]]|accessdate=22 April 2015|date=7 Nov 2014}}</ref><ref name=Guardian1>{{cite web|last1=Glenza|first1=Jessica|title='Innate Potato' heads for market but GM watchdogs chip away at Simplot success|url=https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2014/nov/08/innate-potato-simplot-gm-watchdogs|website=theguardian.com|publisher=Guardian News and Media Limited|accessdate=22 April 2015|date=8 Nov 2014}}</ref> The 'Innate' name comes from the fact that this variety does not contain any genetic material from other species (the genes used are "“[[Wiktionary:innate|innate]]"” to potatoes). [[RNA interference]] is used to "switch“switch off"off” genes in this case. Simplot hopes that not including genes from other species will assuage consumer fears about biotechnology.<ref name="New York Times"/>

The "Innate"“Innate” potato is not a single cultivar, rather, it is a group of potato varieties that have had the same genetic alterations applied using the same process. Five different potato varieties have been transformed, thus creating "innate" versions with all of the original traits plus the engineered ones. Ranger Russet, Russet Burbank, and Atlantic potatoes have all been transformed by Simplot, as well as two proprietary varieties. Modifications of each variety involved two transformations, one for each of the two new traits.<ref name=Biofortified>{{cite web|last1=von Mogel|first1=Karl Haro|title=Q&A with Haven Baker on Simplot's Innate™ Potatoes|url=http://www.biofortified.org/2013/05/qa-with-haven-baker-innate-potatoes/|website=biofortified.org|publisher=Biology Fortified, Inc.|accessdate=10 May 2015|date=8 May 2013}}</ref>

[[Food and Water Watch]] successfully petitioned [[McDonald's]] to reject Innate potatoes.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Charles|first1=Dan|title=GMO Potatoes Have Arrived. But Will Anyone Buy Them?|url=https://www.npr.org/blogs/thesalt/2015/01/13/376184710/gmo-potatoes-have-arrived-but-will-anyone-buy-them|website=npr.org|publisher=[[NPR]]|accessdate=5 May 2015|date=13 January 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last1=Gunther|first1=Marc|title=McDonald's GMO dilemma: why fries are causing such a fuss|url=https://www.theguardian.com/sustainable-business/mcdonalds-fries-innate-potato-genetically-modified-food|website=theguardian.com|publisher=Guardian News and Media Limited|accessdate=22 April 2015|date=4 December 2013}}</ref>