Last week, Azonano.com had an innocous-sounding article posted on its website entitled ”Frying Oil Stays Fresh Longer Through Nanotechnology.” A cursory review of the article finds that this seemingly mundane advance could end up having a very big impact on the restaurant industry.
Here’s why. The company which was developed the technology, OilFresh, has created an advanced nanoceramic material that acts as a powerful catalytic anti-oxidant device. Among other things, this material allows for a shorter frying time (and thus saves on energy usage); the quality of the oil stay stays fresher longer (meaning restaurants can maintain the quality of, say, their french fries over a longer period of time); and the technology is easy to use and maintain. As an added benefit the technology even allows restaurants to switch to a healthier vegetable oil.
In short, the $299 system saves money; improves quality; and is better for the customer. That’s a win-win-win situation and it is a perfect example of what I call in my forthcoming book, Jump the Curve, “walking the escalator”—or the idea of using a current technology to improve an existing process.
The advance is also a signal that a second emerging trend in nanotechnology will be its impending impact on the food industry. Last year, Cientifica, a British market research specializing in nanotechnology, reported that commercial uses of nanotechnology now add up to a $410 million sliver of the $3 trillion global food market, and it forecasts that this figure will grow to $5.8 billion by 2012.
To the untrained eye, $5.8 billion out of $3 trillion represents less 2% of the overall market. However, if you understand exponential growth you also know how fast that 2% can grow …2/4/8/16/32/64! For this reason food is my nanotrend #2.
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Jack Uldrich is a writer, futurist, public speaker and host of jumpthecurve.net. He is the author of seven books, including Jump the Curve and The Next Big Thing is Really Small: How Nanotechnology Will Change the Future of Your Business. He is also a frequent speaker on future trends, innovation, change management and executive leadership to a variety of businesses, industries and non-profit organizations and associations.
