Swiss company ZEEN Tech has won the main gold award for innovation at the SIAL Paris 2026 international food trade fair, which is being held in the French capital from 17 to 21 October. More than 2,700 innovations were entered in the competition, with the system for industrial food processing using water declared the best.
The process is based on superheated steam. Inside a special chamber, the steam transfers heat to thin slices of potato and gradually removes moisture from them, causing them to become dry and crispy. The key difference from conventional methods is that oil is not required at all as a heat transfer medium.
The manufacturer states that this yields an extremely crispy product without the addition of fat during processing. It highlights lower energy consumption and the avoidance of problems associated with the use and disposal of large quantities of oil as advantages. ZEEN Tech is developing wider applications of the process in the food industry.
The technology is already used to produce chips for the Swiss brand NÜKT, which was also awarded in its own category. Products made from sweet potato, beetroot and apple are available, although the brand’s official website still lists them as something coming to the market soon. It is not known when chips produced using water might appear on the shelves of Croatian shops.
A silver award was won by fruit bites with a yoghurt coating and the addition of prebiotics, probiotics and postbiotics. Bronze went to a vegan matcha latte in capsules compatible with coffee machines.
Among the innovations presented in Paris were chips made from an Italian cured meat delicacy, cheese of an unusual purple colour, and frozen pasta with specially designed ice cubes that help the dish remain cold after heating.
