Abstract
The objective of this study was to evaluate the appearance, texture, palatability, and nutritional content of vegetable chips fried in either vacuum or at normal pressure. Scanning electron microscopy revealed that vacuum fried chips (VFCs) displayed dehydrated cell walls, whereas normal-pressure fried chips (NFCs) appeared to be coated with a film of oil. VFCs were brighter and more vivid than NFCs. A palatability evaluation revealed that VFCs smelled better and were less oily, possessed a more suitable texture, and had an improved taste compared to NFCs. Using rupture measurements, a certain trend in VFCs and NFCs was not observed. VFCs possessed a significantly higher vitamin C content and significantly lower lipid oxide content compared to NFCs, indicating that oxidation was suppressed during the processing of VFCs. Furthermore, the antioxidant capacity of VFCs was lower than that of NFCs, indicating that the aminocarbonyl reaction during cooking was inhibited under vacuum.
