Reduction of oil uptake in deep fried tortilla chips Reducción de la absorción de aceite en la fritura de tiras de maíz
The reduction of oil uptake in fried tortilla chips was attempted with baking and carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) addition. The effects of CMC type and concentration, frying time, and prefrying treatment on oil uptake and moisture content were studied. Chips were prepared using corn masa flour. Results showed that the addition of CMC reduced the oil uptake significantly for all samples. The reduction in oil uptake ranged from 5-40% according to the CMC type and concentration. The most effective CMC type was high viscosity, which caused a 40% reduction in oil content for 30 s frying time of baked samples. The addition of CMC also reduced the initial moisture content of raw chips. The highest moisture content reduction was for samples prepared with low-viscosity CMC. Frying time was an important factor on oil uptake and moisture content. When frying time increased, oil content increased while moisture content decreased.