Effect of pulsed electrical fields on the structural properties that affect french fry texture during processing

摘要

Background: The french-fry manufacturing process via frozen partially-prepared fries involves a series of heat treatments in which the structural properties of a potato (starch structure, ion content, water content, cell wall architecture, and middle lamella) are substantially altered to produce a french fry with a crispy crust and a mealy core. In addition to the traditional processing steps (washing and sorting, peeling, cutting, blanching, dipping, pre-drying, par-frying and freezing), short pulses of high voltage (pulsed electric field, PEF) are now often applied to potatoes before they are cut into french-fry strips. The final texture is the result of not only the effects of heat and PEF treatments on the structural properties of the potato tuber, but also the effects of interactions between these treatments.