Many factors influence the quality of food products that are commercially fried, but the oil used for frying is the most crucial factor. Commercial fried food manufacturers strive to produce that perfect blend of flavor, crunch, and moisture – the sensation that customers love. In addition to giving food heat, fryer oil contributes significantly to the final processed potato product (French fries, potato chips, and other fried snacks). Food that uses high-quality oil has a longer shelf life, tastes better, and is healthier overall.

An essential step in potato processing is oil filtration, which regulates the rate of oil degradation and the total cost of oil. This thereby influences the amount of oil absorbed by the fried potato, the degree of rancidity, and the shelf life of the final product.

In addition to serving as the source of heat transfer that cooks the raw material, frying oil is also absorbed by the finished product. The taste, color, and texture of the finished product are all influenced by this. One of the most important elements in the protection of oil quality is effective filtering. Even though filtration methods vary depending on the product, it’s crucial to start the procedure before frying, particularly for chips. Using an oil filter lowers the frequency of oil changes in the fryer, saving money on fresh oil purchases and increasing the profitability of the fried food. In addition to being darker than fresh oil, the filtered oil yields a more savory result when fried.

While seamlessly integrating into the industrial frying process, an oil filtering system can remove particulates and other waste or frying by-products. The frying unit, a heat exchanger for heating the frying oil, a circulation pump, tanks for clean and dirty oil, a control system, and an oil filtration apparatus are frequently included in complete lines. Since there is some natural oil drag-out in the product that leaves the fryer and gets incorporated into the food product, fresh oil is continuously delivered to the system.

When it comes to frying, numerous aspects affect how long oil lasts. These include the equipment, the method, and the quality of the fried food. By using oil filtration and steam blanketing, it’s crucial to reduce carbon (food particles) and air to get the greatest outcomes.

The fryer’s design is also important. Cleaning and getting rid of crumbs should be as simple as possible. To reduce the amount of heat that the oil is exposed to, the oil heating system’s temperature should also be as low as feasible.

Several factors, including oil type, temperature, and processing method, might cause cooking oil to quickly deteriorate when frying potato goods. This interferes with the cooking efficiency, making it more difficult to clean the fryer and ultimately lowering the quality of the final product. Because frying in deteriorated oil increases the product’s amounts of fatty acids, oxidized lipids, and acrylamides, it can also have major negative impacts on health.

If the entire amount of oil in the system is not changed over in a predetermined amount of time, the fatty acid level of the oil will often rise to an intolerable level during frying operations.

Most items absorb oil during the early stages of frying, lowering ideal oil levels, depending on their physical features. For example, potato slices might absorb from 24% to 40% of the oil. To guarantee that the product is frying in the freshest oil possible for maximum quality, a fresh oil in-feed is required for oil levels to restore to 100%.

You can read the rest of this article in your complimentary e-copy of Issue 3 of Potato Business Dossier 2024, which you can access by clicking here.