Improving the quality and reducing oil absorption of fried potato chips by ultrasound pretreatment

Effect of basil seed gum coating and ultrasound pretreatment on frying time, oil uptake, hardness, color indexes, and sensory properties of potato slices

Fried food products have low oil content with improved nutritional quality, higher crispiness, and better sensory attributes. Edible coatings can decrease the excessive oil uptake in deep-fat fried food products. Furthermore, ultrasound treatment before frying process decreased oil uptake of food products. So, in this study, the impact of gum edible coating and ultrasonic pretreatment (at two different power levels of 75 and 150 W) on the frying time of potato slices, and moisture percent, oil uptake, texture hardness, surface area change, color parameters (lightness, redness, yellowness, and total color change), and sensory attributes of fried potato slices were examined. Edible coating with basil seed gum (BSG) and ultrasonic pretreatment significantly increased the frying time of the slices (p < 0.05). The average moisture content of the fried slices changed from 49.48 % to 60.55 %, and was further increased by edible coating and ultrasonic treatment. The highest (26.92 %) and lowest (14.56 %) oil uptake were for the uncoated and coated-sonicated (150 W) fried potato slices, respectively. The ultrasound pretreatment significantly increased the hardness of fried potato slices (p < 0.05). The low and high intensity ultrasonic pretreatment (75 W and 150 W, respectively) significantly decreased the crust area change of fried potato slices (p < 0.05). The average lightness index of the fried samples changed from 63.30 to 71.58, and increased with increasing ultrasonic power. The minimum redness, yellowness, and total color change indexes were for the coated and high-power sonicated (150 W) samples, respectively. The highest appearance, odor, texture, flavor, and overall acceptance were for the coated and high-power sonicated (150 W) sample.

Effects of starch-tea polyphenol complexes on the structure features of reconstituted doughs and oil absorption of potato crisps

The structural features of reconstituted doughs play a crucial role in determining the oil uptake properties of fried potato crisps. Wheat starch (WS), corn starch (CS), potato starch (PS), or tapioca starch (TS) and tea polyphenols (TPs) complexes were prepared, and their effects on the physicochemical and structural properties of reconstituted dough and oil uptake of potato crisps were investigated. A denser and consistent network structure was observed in the reconstituted dough produced by PS-TPs and TS-TPs complexes. Thus, the reconstituted dough prepared using PS-TPs and TS-TPs complexes displayed slower water evaporation and less matrix swelling during frying, leading to a denser matrix and limited oil uptake of potato crisps. The potato crisps with PS-TPs and TS-TPs complexes had 20.83 % and 10.15 % lower oil content. Consequently, the starch-TPs complexes can be used to improve the properties of reconstituted doughs and produce fried snacks with lower oil content.

Formation of pores and bubbles and their impacts on the quality attributes of processed foods: A review

Pores and bubbles significantly influence the physical attributes (like texture, density, and structural integrity), organoleptic properties, and shelf life of processed foods. Hence, the quality of foods and their acceptance by the consumers could be influenced by the properties and prevalence of pores and bubbles within the food structure. Considering the importance of pores, this review aimed to comprehensively discuss the factors and mechanisms involved in the generation of pores and bubbles during the processing of different food products. Moreover, the characteristics and effects of pores on the properties of chocolates, cheeses, cereal-based foods (like cake, puffed grains, and pasta), dried, and fried products were discussed. The impacts of bubbles on the quality of foam-based products, foam creamers, and beverages were also explored. This review concludes that intrinsic factors (like food compositions, initial moisture content, and porosity) and extrinsic factors (like applied technologies, processing, and storage conditions) affect various properties of the pores and bubbles including their number, size, orientation, and distribution. These factors collectively shape the overall structure and quality of processed food products such as density, texture (hardness, cohesiveness, chewiness), and water holding capacity. The desirability or undesirability of pores and their characteristics depends on the type of products; hence, some practical hints were provided to mitigate their adverse effects or to enhance their formation in foods. For example, pores could increase the nutrient digestion and reduce the shelf life of the products by enhancing the risk of fat oxidation and microbial growth. In conclusion, this study provides a valuable resource for food scientists and industry professionals by discussing the effects of pores on food preservation, heat, and mass transfer (including oxygen, moisture, flavors, and nutrients). Understanding the dynamic changes in porosity during processing will be effective in customization of final product quality with desired attributes, ensuring tailored outcomes for specific applications.

The effect of cold atmospheric plasma pretreatment on oil absorption, acrylamide content and sensory characteristics of deep-fried potato strips

This study investigated the impact of 60 kV Cold Atmospheric Plasma (CAP) pretreatment for varying durations (5, 10, and 15 min) on potato strip characteristics before and after frying, emphasizing oil uptake, acrylamide formation. Potato samples treated with cap showed significantly better physicochemical characteristics. Scanning electron microscopy revealed deformation of cell wall due to CAP treatment. Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy indicated structural changes, while X-ray diffraction analysis suggested that starch remained amorphous state in CAP-pretreated samples. Post-frying, CAP-treated potato strips exhibited altered oil distribution with reduced absorption, possibly due to microstructural changes. CAP substantially reduced acrylamide formation during frying by degrading asparagine and inactivating amylase. CAP affected strip color, with increased brightness and decreased redness and yellowness after 14 days. Sensory evaluation showed no significant difference, with prolonged CAP-treated strips receiving higher overall acceptability scores. These findings highlight CAP as a non-thermal technology to enhance fried potato product quality and safety.

Dual-Stage ultrasound in deep frying of potato chips; effects on the oil absorption and the quality of fried chips

Potato chips are popular high-consuming ready-to-eat meals in all of the world which specially attract a lot of attention from youth and children. Reducing oil absorption and improving the quality of chips are major undertakings within the industry. This research aimed to find the best ultrasonic bath-based method by investigating the optimal ultrasonic pre-treatment and developing an ultrasound (US) assisted frying system (UAFS) to reduce the oil absorption of potato chips while maintaining an acceptable quality. Through this technique, the potato chips get sonicated during deep frying in hot oil. US-pretreatment at temperatures of 25 °C and 73 °C, along with US-assisted frying, resulted in the minimal amount of oil which may be due to the US creating potential pores during the pre-treatment phase, which then expand further during the subsequent sonication stage. UAFS in combination with US-pretreatment produced more crispy chips due to the fact that the texture of potato slices becomes more porous. UAFS resulted in a decrease in the moisture content of the fried chips attributed to an increase in the effective diffusion coefficient and mass. Pretreating the chips at 73 °C significantly reduce the color change producing brighter product by inactivation of enzymes such as polyphenol oxidase. Finally, the result of TOPSIS optimization based on potato chips properties confirms that US-pretreatment in 73 °C brine followed by frying using UAFS is the best approach. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) images of potato chips also support this issue.

Monitoring the Changes in Heat Transfer and Water Evaporation of French Fries during Frying to Analyze Its Oil Uptake and Quality

The effect of frying temperature on heat transfer, water loss kinetic, oil uptake kinetic, and quality of French fries was evaluated. With increasing frying temperature, the core temperature of fries increased, and the Biot number and heat transfer coefficient (h) first decreased and then increased significantly (p < 0.05). The water loss rate (kw) and water effective diffusion of fries increased with the increasing frying temperature. The kw of fries fried at 150−190 °C were 0.2391, 0.2414, 0.3205, 0.3998, and 0.3931, respectively. The oil uptake rate (ko) first increased and then decreased with increasing frying temperature, and the ko of samples fried at 150−190 °C were 0.2691, 0.2564, 0.4764, 0.3387, and 0.2522, respectively. There were significant differences in the a*, L*, ΔE, and BI between fries with different temperatures (p < 0.05), while there was no significant difference in the b* (p > 0.05). The hardness and crispness of fries increased with increased frying temperature. The highest overall acceptability scores of fries were fried at 170 °C. Therefore, the changes in color, texture overall acceptability, and oil content were due to the Maillard reaction and the formation of porous structure, which was induced by h and water evaporation of fries when they changed.