Science and passion have often been at the forefront of modernization in the food industry. An exciting new innovation has come from a chemical engineer who has developed a product to introduce a change in the way restaurants fry that makes a big environmental impact.
“How does someone who loves food, find themselves becoming a chemical engineer?” said Jeremiah Chapman, co-founder of the company FreshFry. A company that is innovating the way the nation’s restaurants utilize frying oil in commercial kitchens. “The oil filtration process in restaurants has been the same since around 1962.” said Chapman.
This called for an upgrade that was well overdue and so he was prompted to get to work creating a solution. “As a chemical engineer, I would take old oil from local restaurants to a lab to create biodiesel. But the oil we were getting was often unsuitable for processing,” said Chapman. “I thought to myself, if they have been doing it this way how was I going to make something different.”
Chapman, with his background in engineering and his passion for food, came up with an idea that the design and production of a frying pod would make the use of the oil more efficient without impacting the flavor and texture of signature menu items. To design the product and the first prototype, Chapman listened carefully to the chef community.
“Their input clearly focused us on the creation of a single pod that would fit right into the fry basket,” he explained. The FreshFry pod is a single-use pouch that fits into a fry basket. Operators love the simplicity of dropping the pod in the fry basket at the end of service while the oil is still hot and leave it overnight. The pod then removes the particles that alter the color, sour the taste and degrade the oil. The next day, operators simply remove the pod and oil is ready for another day of frying.
On average the FreshFry pods save customers 25% on oil consumption. The product can be used in most settings and is being used by “local businesses trying to make the pennies roll a little bit further down the street.” said Chapman. FreshFry pods don’t require any special treatment so there’s no need to change the oil you are already using. “If you want to maximize your savings, continue using the same oil you are currently purchasing, and you will see the benefits from there. We help commodity oil last longer and we protect the investment of your premium oil.” said Chapman. “To see the most benefits from using the pods, you must use it every day. This is where you will see the 14 gallons of oil become 10, and the twice a week oil change become one.”
The science of the design of the FreshFry pods slows the natural breakdown of the oil. Chapman quickly embraced that Fresh Fry’s growth would be based help cut down on the amount of oil purchased without affecting the taste. “We do not impact the taste of your food. The pods clean the oil so your food tastes like it should.” said Chapman. The pods are made of locally sourced grain shells, they have no nutritional value and would normally end up in landfills.
FreshFry is also committed to creating sustainable solutions to meet the green and sustainable agenda of visionary operators. “Our concern is, how can we ensure that the oil that is filtered can be used to make renewable diesel fuel.” said Chapman. By securing the second life of the oil we consume in restaurants we cut down on the environmental impact. In implementing these practices, they have already repurposed 10 million pounds of environmental waste and are striving to reach their new goal of 1 billion pounds of waste by 2031. “We have what I call ‘a passion to do it in a sustainable way’. This is our passion, so our task is figuring out how to make that work for our customers while keeping our goal for sustainability at the forefront,” said Chapman. “We live and breathe making the next sustainable tech for our customers.”
With products like the FreshFry pods, Chapman is leading the way in sustainable solutions that save time and money. This simple and clean way to change fryer oil is making the future of food industry products look brighter and greener.
Operators and distributors can find additional on FreshFry’s pod solution on the web at their website, by calling (502) 977-PODS (7637), or visiting their booth #10411 in the Lakeside Pavillion at the National Restaurant Association Show in Chicago on May 20-23.
