Innovation / Published January 22, 2021

Orizon bets on new technology to produce healthy snacks


It is a project of the UC academic and Vice-Rector for Research Pedro Bouchon, that became the winner of a Copec-UC Foundation contest, won a Fondecyt and obtained Corfo financing for its development. With this support and the engagement of DICTUC and UC, a technology “made in Chile”, protected by trade secret was achieved.

This new breakthrough, unique in the world, can make that potato chips have three times less fat than traditional ones, better retain nutrients and maintain their original color, because the nutrients of the raw material are preserved.

This innovative method is applicable to different types of food, although the researcher has focused it mainly on vegetables and fruits such as potatoes, apples, beets, sweet potatoes and carrots. “It is a very minimally invasive and efficient industrial process. I’ve been engaged on this for a long time, traveling around the world, and I’ve never seen a product of this type that meets those characteristics, that is not high in something and, at the same time, is so tasty,” says Bouchon.

In line with its mission to promote healthy food, Empresas Copec’s subsidiary, Orizon, bet on this product. To do this, a few months ago a pilot plant was implemented in Coronel, in the Biobio region, for its development and validation. It is currently being sold through its e-commerce platform www.lamesadetodos.cl under the brand name “FlipSnacks”. “We are part of the development of a new cutting-edge product, made with technology that is unique in the world and that is in line with the current demands of consumers, due to its healthy properties. Today we will seek to promote this innovation in our online channel and, subsequently, in some Pronto stores in Santiago. First, we want to test this product of global impact in Chile, and then expand it to other markets,” says Jorge de Llano, Development and New Business manager at Orizon.