A new-type food project using technology developed by a team led by Wu Qi, an internationally renowned polymer physicist and CAS academician, started trial production on August 18 in Zhongshan's Torch High‑tech Zone.

The project, funded and built by Guangdong Xinglü Food Technology Co, houses the Greater Bay Area's first "potato rice" production line. The current line has an annual capacity of over 4,000 tonnes; once fully operational, the project is expected to generate annual revenue of 180 to 200 million yuan.

Wu said the team combined polymer physics, food macromolecular processing, and extrusion-pelletizing techniques to turn fresh potatoes into rice‑shaped grains 0.5 to 1 mm in diameter. The technology overcomes key industrial hurdles such as short shelf life, limited texture and processing challenges of potatoes.