Researchers have now came upon how you can cease the formation of dangerous acrylamides when deep-frying potatoes to make crisps.
Frying potatoes causes the formation of dangerous chemical compounds known as acrylamides. The acrylamide content material in potato crisps is influenced by components such because the potatoes themselves, storage situations and the warmth therapy course of. Researchers have been wanting into acrylamides along with the meals packing firm Produsentpakkeriet in Frosta, north-east of Trondheim, Norway.
“Right here we face a further problem as a result of colder development situations typically imply that much less mature potatoes are used to make crisps“, says researcher Solveig Uglem at SINTEF, who has been heading the analysis workforce. “Much less mature potatoes include extra sugar, and this could result in a better acrylamide content material within the crisps that we make from them“, she says.
Decreasing meals waste and boosting high quality
In line with the analysis workforce, this venture has offered us with new data about the very best methods of storing potatoes with the intention to cut back meals waste. It has proven us how you can obtain optimum crisp high quality and reduce the chance of acrylamide formation.
The outcomes reveal that three key components are concerned:
- Use of the correct of potato
- Attaining the right maturity earlier than harvesting
- Attaining an accurate and tailor-made storage temperature
As a part of a three-year research, the researchers have additionally been wanting into using easy strategies of measuring the sugar content material of potatoes. Such measurements, taken each earlier than and after harvesting and whereas the potatoes are in storage, are essential for guaranteeing that sugar ranges are sufficiently low to allow the potatoes to be made into crisps.
The workforce found that measurements of sucrose and aspartic acid contents in potatoes supplied the very best indicators of the acrylamide ranges that crisps will receive after deep frying.
“Nonetheless, this technique is sluggish and requires using costly devices“, says Erlend Indergård, who has been collaborating within the venture. “We have discovered that measuring glucose concentrations utilizing a blood sugar meter that anybody can buy at an area pharmacy provides a faster and extra accessible technique of getting a sign of whether or not a potato’s sugar content material is just too excessive“, he says.
Thumbs up from farmers
Thus far, the strategy has been properly acquired by potato growers. By measuring the glucose content material, they will get a sign as as to whether or not their potatoes are proper for harvesting. It’s each unsustainable, and may end up in main monetary loss, if a batch of potatoes must be rejected as a result of sugar ranges are too excessive. Potato growers ought to thus be inspired to maintain observe of the glucose content material of their crop each instantly after harvesting and through storage. This may allow them to take motion in the event that they observe any adjustments in high quality.
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