Peter Schwarzhans, an organic farmer-turned-physicist, claims to have found the holy grail of snack foods: the fat-free crisp (chip).
Go deeper with GlobalData
Schwarzhans’ product uses not potatoes, but the tubers of a North American sunflower (Helianthus tuberosus). They are made into crisps using a heated air treatment, which produces crisps that can stay fresh and crispy for weeks.
Schwarzhans had first tried to make a fat-free crisp using potatoes, but said, “the taste was disgusting,” so switched to the sunflower tuber. “The results were remarkable. What I’d produced was something that looked like crisps, tasted just like them and which lasts just as long,” said Schwarzhans.
Given the lucrative nature of the crisp market, Schwarzhan’s claims have attracted interest from a number of major manufacturers, reported Die Presse. The process has been patented, and if a deal with a manufacturer comes off, and extra fields are planted to sunflowers, the new crisps could be available to a mass market by next year, said Schwarzhans.
The inventor’s curiosity was first prompted by a diabetic who wanted to eat crisps but was unable to because of strict dietary requirements.
US Tariffs are shifting - will you react or anticipate?
Don’t let policy changes catch you off guard. Stay proactive with real-time data and expert analysis.
By GlobalData
