Food and Beverages Tech Review: Specials Magazine

DuraFry Solutions International LLC is reshaping how restaurants manage their frying oil. With a patented powder and advanced filtration systems that are FDA- and NSF-approved, the company helps operators extend oil life while preserving the quality and consistency of every batch. What distinguishes DuraFry is the way it works alongside its customers. The team begins by assessing each kitchen’s challenges on-site, and then incorporates its technology into everyday operations in a way that fits existing workflows. Staff receive direct training on proper use and DuraFry continues to monitor results over time, ensuring improvements hold steady. This approach turns product adoption into a lasting partnership built on reliability and trust. The impact is immediate. Operators benefit from lower costs and fewer disruptions, with the confidence that every meal remains consistently fresh and safe. Central to this process is DuraFry’s proprietary powder, a blend of magnesium silicate and diatomaceous earth. These minerals work together to capture impurities and purify oil until it is nearly crystal clear. Extending oil life also lowers smoke levels, prevents residue buildup and minimizes the use of harsh cleaning chemicals, improving both food quality and working conditions. “Our aim is to help operators serve the best possible food safely and sustainably while reducing the wastage of oils,” says Michael Aoun, co-founder and CEO. Aoun’s perspective is grounded in experience. As a lifelong restaurateur, he ran a festival food operation across U.S. cities and often replaced oil on a daily basis. By the end of one summer, hundreds of discarded jugs were stacked in storage. That waste reflected a widespread problem in food service where vegetable oil rarely lasts beyond three days and beef tallow seldom beyond five without effective filtration. Relying on sight or smell left operators with high costs and unpredictable food quality. To solve this, Aoun joined forces with chemist Bill Trent in 2017 to create what became the patented DuraFry powder. The breakthrough transformed oil management, extending the lifespan of soy oil to 12–14 days and beef tallow to 22. Just as importantly, the approach brings consistency to frying, delivering food that tastes fresher for longer periods. Extending oil life is only half the story. Kitchens also need certainty about when oil should be replaced. To provide that assurance, DuraFry integrates a German-engineered Testo probe that measures total polar materials, the most reliable marker of oil degradation. In the European Union, oil above 25 percent TPM must be discarded as unsafe. While no such regulation exists in the U.S., it encourages operators to adopt these scientific benchmarks voluntarily, raising safety and quality standards across the board.

Trustwell’s fully integrated software platform connects formulation, labeling, supplier management and traceability across the food and supplement industries. By unifying key supply chain processes that are often managed in isolation, Trustwell’s purpose-built solutions allow quick service restaurants, food and supplement manufacturers, retail grocers and wholesale food distributors to innovate without compromising on quality, safety or speed. From formulation to final destination, Trustwell gives companies the real-time visibility and control they need to maintain quality and act quickly. The software helps brands adapt to evolving regulations, streamline operations and strengthen trust across the supply chain with consumers and partners. “We build technology that helps food companies bring safe, high-quality products to market faster while maintaining trust across their supply chain,” says Doug Bell, Chief Technology Officer. Trustwell combines the capabilities of two industry-leading products—FoodLogiQ and Genesis—for enhanced visibility and transparency across the supply chain, accelerated product innovation and simplified compliance. Together, they support cross-functional collaboration and a shared source of truth across the supply chain as a unified platform.