Fried latkes or doughnuts are quintessential Hanukkah treats, reminding us of the consecrated oil that miraculously burned for eight days in the menorah of the Holy Temple reclaimed by the Maccabees.

For many of us, however, fried foods are not reserved for festive occasions. Restaurant dishes such as French fries, onion rings and schnitzel are year-round favorites. And these pose various health risks.

One issue is that some fast-food restaurants, food manufacturers and cafeterias reuse oil hundreds of times over a few days. Studies show oil degrades in appearance and quality with every reheating. Carcinogenic substances build up in reused oil, endangering even cooks inhaling its vapor.

Israeli food-tech company Beyond Oil is offering an industrial solution: A powder made from FDA-approved food additives that filters and absorbs harmful components from the oil and slows deterioration, preserving the oil’s quality for a longer period of time.

Beyond Oil, based in North Vancouver, Canada, and Kibbutz Yifat in Israel, is working with fast-food chains and industrial frying companies across Israel and North America, though it is not disclosing the names of its partners. The company recently signed a letter of intent with one of the world’s largest food equipment manufacturers.

According to CEO and co-founder Jonathan Or, customers realize “substantial improvements in frying oil and food quality, yielding significant health benefits” while enhancing “environmental sustainability, employee well-being, guest experience, operational efficiency and reductions in food and labor costs.”

Dr. Sarel Halahmi, chief urologist at Bnei Zion Medical Center in Haifa, and Nissim Garti, a professor and former director of the Casali Institute of Applied Chemistry at Hebrew University, studied Beyond Oil’s efficacy and determined that using the powder in food service settings can lower the risk of certain types of cancer (and even infertility) associated with harmful substances in reused frying oil.

While the product isn’t available for home cooks, you could say it’s working miracles behind the scenes, much like that lone cruse of oil on the first Hanukkah in 164 BCE.

Jordana Benami