ABSTRACT
Potato tubers constitute the base for the manufacturing of potato chips still considered the most relevant savory snack in terms of volume and sales. Tubers are also used for the manufacturing of potato flour, pregelatinized flakes and are alternatively wet-milled into starch. The quality of potatoes especially in terms of specific gravity and starch content greatly affects the quality and properties of end-products, especially fried potato chips. Potato flours and both native and modified starches are widely used in formulations of both second and third-generation snacks. Among one the chief uses of these raw materials are for the manufacturing of fabricated potato chips and third-generation snacks that are increasing in popularity. Industrial production of regular potato chips is accomplished by selecting the optimum potatoes for this application, peeling, trimming, slicing, washing, deep fat frying, seasoning, and packaging. Production, quality, and features of fabricated potato chips greatly depend on the formulation rich in potato flour, flakes, or starches. The dry ingredients are blended with water to produce a sheetable dough that is laminated and cut in preparation for frying or baking. Both conventional and fabricated potato chips can be processed with other technologies such as vacuum-frying and baking in a microwave or high-convection ovens to generate low or fat-free products suited for the growing market of health-conscious customers.
