Belgium: Lutosa Bets on Seasoned Fries, Unveils UltraCrunchy Sea Salt & Pepper at SIAL Paris
Belgian frozen-potato specialist Lutosa has expanded its flagship UltraCrunchy range with a Sea Salt & Pepper variant, unveiling the new fries at SIAL Paris 2026 as the trade show opened its doors at Paris Nord Villepinte on 17 October, the company announced ahead of the fair.
The new product combines the range’s signature crisp coating with a sea salt and pepper seasoning, positioned as a more distinctive, premium take on a familiar side dish for foodservice operators. It is not Lutosa’s first move into the flavour: the company points to the positive response to its Sea Salt & Pepper Crinkle Wedges, launched earlier this year.
The timing is deliberate. According to Innova data cited by Lutosa, European product launches featuring the sea salt and pepper profile grew at an average annual rate of 31.6% between October 2020 and September 2025 — one of the faster-growing flavour directions in frozen potato products.
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Texture remains the core selling point of the UltraCrunchy line, which debuted at SIAL Paris two years ago. The coated fries are designed to stay crisp for up to 30 minutes after cooking, a property Lutosa argues is increasingly valuable as foodservice shifts towards delivery and extended holding times. The company says crispness is now the leading driver of satisfaction for 73% of consumers, while coated and battered products rank among the faster-growing categories within frozen potato products.
Lutosa is pitching the variant as a way for professional kitchens to diversify menus and create premiumisation opportunities without adding operational complexity: the fries go straight from freezer to fryer, carrying a flavour profile that has already proven its appeal in the market.
The launch extends a range that has become one of the more differentiated lines in the Belgian processor’s portfolio. Lutosa, a subsidiary of McCain Foods with two production sites in Belgium, has been investing heavily in capacity in recent years as competition in European frozen potato processing intensifies.
Visitors to SIAL Paris, which runs until 21 October, can taste the new fries at the Lutosa stand.
Sources: Frozen Food Europe; SIAL Paris; Potato Business.
