Researchers have made a groundbreaking discovery on how to prevent the formation of harmful acrylamides during the deep-frying process of potato chips.
Frying potatoes leads to the creation of acrylamides, which are harmful chemicals. The amount of acrylamides in potato chips is influenced by various factors including the quality of the potatoes, storage conditions, and the cooking process. In collaboration with the food packaging company Produsentpakkeriet, researchers in Frosta, Norway have been studying acrylamides to develop solutions for reducing their presence in potato chips.
“One of the challenges we face is that colder growth conditions often result in the use of less mature potatoes for making potato chips,” explains Solveig Uglem, the lead researcher from SINTEF. “Less mature potatoes have higher sugar content, which can lead to increased acrylamide levels in the potato chips,” she adds.
Minimizing Food Waste and Enhancing Quality
Through this research project, valuable insights have been gained on the optimal methods of storing potatoes to reduce food waste. It has provided guidelines for achieving crispy potato chips while minimizing the risk of acrylamide formation.
The findings highlight the importance of three key factors:
- Using the right type of potato
- Harvesting at the correct maturity level
- Implementing proper and customized storage temperature
During the three-year study, researchers also explored simple methods to measure the sugar content of potatoes. These measurements, taken before and after harvesting, as well as during storage, play a crucial role in ensuring that the sugar levels are sufficiently low to produce high-quality potato chips.
The team found that measuring sucrose and aspartic acid levels provided the best indicators of the future acrylamide levels in deep-fried potato chips.
“However, this method is slow and requires expensive instruments,” explains Erlend Indergård, a project participant. “We have discovered that measuring glucose concentrations using a blood sugar meter available at local pharmacies offers a quicker and more accessible way to gauge the sugar content of potatoes,” he adds.
Potato growers have embraced this method to determine the suitability of their potatoes for harvesting. Monitoring glucose content after harvesting and during storage is crucial to prevent significant financial losses resulting from rejecting batches with high sugar levels. Potato growers are encouraged to regularly measure the glucose content of their crop and take appropriate action if they observe any changes in quality.
More information:
Details (in Norwegian): www.matriketmidt.no/nyheter/na … anseres-frostachips/
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Shambhu Kumar is a science communicator, making complex scientific topics accessible to all. His articles explore breakthroughs in various scientific disciplines, from space exploration to cutting-edge research.
