Popcorn residue gets new life

Kokica is a private business founded on a dream and idea of four young entrepreneurs. Their idea was to make popcorn that does not stick to the teeth. Sisters Maja and Špela Lukas and their partners Uroš Požgan and Alen Velcer managed to realise their childhood dream by making Pokica, air-popped non-stick popcorn. They also appeared in the start-up TV show Štartaj Slovenija, which was a turning point in their business career.

Pokica is made from non-GMO sourced corn on a hot-air fat-free basis. The entrepreneurs upgraded the basic version of Pokica with several creative flavour combinations, including a blend of white and dark chocolate, homemade apple strudel, caramel and peanut butter or bacon and smoked peppers. 

Usually, unevenly heated, burnt or irregularly shaped corn kernels get removed through the sorting and milling process and end up in garbage. The foursome was eager to change things and looked into how to use this residue by making a brand new product through optimising the production process and reducing the amount of waste. They decided to grind the residue into a fine powder and added mix-ins, such as fruit and chocolate to get Čokica, a healthy and tasty protein bar. ‘’The idea behind our project is to reduce the amount of food waste that ends up in garbage. The enterprise will pursue the zero waste principle by using up the by-product to get a brand new product - Čokica, our very own protein bar’’. The four entrepreneurs who wished to expand production and grow their business applied for EU support under a call for innovative project proposals launched by the Slovene Enterprise Fund and received ERDF funding to buy a special grinding machine and make their dream come true.   

See: Odpadne kokice spreminjajo v proteinske tablice // 60-second documentary in Slovene

Text, photo and video: TV IDEA – central Pomurje region TV