Current UCUI
68/100
Moderate-High Uncertainty
+4 points from prior reading
Potato Market Intelligence
French Fry Cost Per Serving
French fry cost per serving converts delivered frozen-fry economics into the unit actually consumed at the restaurant. MassGain validates the upstream potato-market component while procurement and operations add case cost, net pack, cooked yield, portion, waste, and distribution so supplier or contract changes can be expressed in cents per serving.
Market Data
How to read this market
French fry cost per serving converts delivered frozen-fry economics into the unit actually consumed at the restaurant. The calculation should include delivered case cost, net pack weight, cooked yield, standard portion, waste, oil pickup or other relevant operating effects, and any distribution charges that determine usable servings.
MassGain provides the external potato-market and finished-product context needed to validate the raw-material assumption inside that model. Procurement and finance can compare suppliers or contract changes in cents per serving while keeping potato, conversion, packaging, freight, and restaurant execution as separate cost layers.
Data Module
French fry serving-cost context
Delivered casecontracted product cost at destination
Net packusable product weight per case
Cooked yieldoutput after preparation and loss
Portionstandard fries served per order
Wasteexpected handling and hold loss
Decision usefood cost, menu margin, and negotiation
Analysis
Why this matters
Case price alone can misrank suppliers when products differ in yield, cut profile, coating, hold performance, or waste. A higher-priced fry can produce a lower serving cost if more of the purchased case becomes saleable portions.
The potato benchmark should also not be treated as the serving cost itself. Raw potatoes are only one layer of finished-fry economics. MassGain can test whether the commodity component moved plausibly while restaurant-specific yield and portion data determine the actual unit impact.
Signal 01
Usable Crop Uncertainty Index
UCUI translates crop and market complexity into a simple uncertainty signal. Higher readings indicate greater uncertainty—not necessarily higher prices.
Understand uncertainty. Anticipate risk. Act earlier.
UCUI is designed to analyze potato-industry publications and data signals across regions, varieties, weather, disease, storage, supply, and demand.
WeatherHigh
DiseaseHigh
StorageMedium
SupplyMedium
Single-day snapshot based on a scan of 11,500+ web and social signals. Get historical and real-time data by clicking the button below.
The MassGain Daily
Today’s market analysis.
A daily editorial synthesis of physical potato data, crop signals, market reporting, and what participants should watch next.
September 10, 2026Latest MassGain publication
Potato prices quiet at $30/cwt as regional harvest damage buzzes beneath the surface
Market indicators are stable, but reporting from Europe and select growing areas shows real, localized crop stress — a reminder that steady headline prices can mask uneven physical risk.
Signal 02
MassGain Potato Index
Independent physical-pricing intelligence and market-trend analysis for procurement, forecasting, contracting, and scenario planning.
Core Russet Carton Median
312.45 USD/MT
Latest qualifying physical-market observation
+4.75 (+1.55%)
Price discovery for the physical potato market
MPI is designed to track physical pricing data, price trends, deltas, and divergences across regions and potato types.
Series window45 days
Current public coverageCore russet cartons
Primary source basisQualifying USDA physical rows
UnitUSD per metric tonne
Single-day snapshot based on most recent 45 days worth of data. Limited to US Russets only. Get more complete, global data about all varieties by clicking the button below.
Signal 03
MassGain Spot Reference
An independent spot reference designed for price discovery, contract discussions, procurement comparisons, and risk modeling.
Russet Burbank — U.S. Midsize
305 USD/MT
Demonstration reference format
+1.6% WoW · Confidence: High
A trusted benchmark for pricing, contracts, and risk
MSR is intended to use real transactions and verifiable physical-market data to support negotiations, price checks, contracting, and risk models.
ProductRusset Burbank
SpecificationU.S. midsize, 40–70 count
Reference typePhysical spot benchmark
StatusIn development
Based on most recent 45 days worth of data. Limited to US Russets only. Get more complete, global data about all varities by clicking the button below. Full access also includes historical data -- including depreciated NYMEX/CBOE/EEX spot references -- projections, trends, and AI-driven insights.
The MassGain Product Ladder
From insight to intelligence to action
Four integrated products built for the physical potato market, delivered through public pages, reports, exports, dashboards, and API access.
1
Content
Original research, commentary, aggregated news, and market updates.
- What matters right now?
- What is happening out there?
2
UCUI™
Usable Crop Uncertainty Index: an AI-powered signal of crop risk and market uncertainty.
- Understand uncertainty
- Anticipate risk
- Act earlier
3
MPI™
MassGain Potato Index: independent physical-pricing intelligence and trend analysis.
- Price discovery
- Regional trends
- Procurement planning
4
MSR™
MassGain Spot Reference: an independent benchmark for price discovery and risk modeling.
- Contracts
- Negotiations
- Risk models
Content + UCUI + MPI + MSR + API access
Get historical series, regional detail, constituent data, exports, alerts, and direct data access.
Overview
Who is this for?
This is for QSR, restaurant, foodservice, and finance teams that need to translate frozen-fry purchasing economics into the cost of one menu serving. French fry cost per serving combines case price, net pack weight, cooked yield, portion standard, oil pickup, waste, freight, and any distributor or service charges. MassGain’s potato data suite supplies the independent raw-potato and finished-market context needed to test whether the commodity assumptions inside that calculation are reasonable.
The measure creates a common language between procurement, operations, menu strategy, and finance. A small change per case can become material across millions of orders, while differences in cut, recovery, portion control, or hold performance may outweigh a lower headline price. MassGain helps buyers separate market-driven potato pressure from supplier-specific processing, packaging, freight, and margin, then model alternative suppliers, specifications, or contract effective dates.
The objective is not simply to divide case price by servings. It is to estimate actual usable economics under realistic restaurant conditions. MassGain does not replace store-level waste or yield data. It provides the external benchmark layer that helps teams validate inputs, explain systemwide impact, and negotiate changes in cents per serving rather than relying on a vague commodity percentage.
Use Case
A 1,200-unit QSR receives a proposed $1.80-per-case fry increase. Procurement combines the new quote with actual cooked yield, standard portion, freight, and waste to calculate a 2.4-cent increase per order. MassGain shows the relevant potato market supports only part of the change. The chain negotiates the unsupported premium down and gives finance a clear annual impact by serving.
FAQs
How is french fry cost per serving calculated?
It converts delivered product cost, usable yield, portion size, and expected waste into the cost of one served portion.
Why is serving cost better than case price alone?
It reflects yield, portioning, waste, and restaurant volume, which determine the actual food-cost impact.
How does MassGain improve the calculation?
It validates the potato-market component and helps separate commodity movement from processing, freight, and supplier-specific charges.
Put this market intelligence to work
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Data and Methodology
Professional market-data standards
MassGain is building transparent public market infrastructure. Each live metric will identify its date, unit, coverage, methodology, and source basis.
Data provenance
MassGain uses public, licensed, contributed, and independently derived physical-market information. Source availability and publication schedules vary.
Timing and revisions
Figures may reflect the latest available observation rather than a same-day transaction. Source data and MassGain calculations may be corrected, restated, or revised.
Not transactional pricing
MassGain figures are informational reference values and do not constitute executable bids, offers, settlements, or guarantees that a transaction can occur at the displayed value.
No individualized advice
Content and data are provided for informational and analytical purposes and do not constitute financial, investment, legal, trading, or individualized procurement advice.
Independent publication
Certain observations may be derived from USDA reports. MassGain is independent and is not affiliated with or endorsed by the USDA.
Commercial use and licensing
Public display does not grant rights to reproduce, redistribute, republish, or incorporate MassGain indices or references into commercial products or contracts without authorization.