197: Effect of Raw Material and Processing Conditions on Wheat Snacks’ Fat Content

Introduction

Fried wheat snacks are widely consumed in Mexico. At the industrial level, their production consists of subjection wheat pellets to deep-fat frying in palm olein at 180°C for 30 s. The variation in the fat content of this snack impacts consumers’ health and producer's economy. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of flour and pellet characteristics, as well as processing conditions on snack fat content.

Methods

The wheat flour and pellets data used to produce five snack batches at industrial level were used in this study. Using the production records of pellets and snacks, more than 20 factors were evaluated, which considered raw material properties and process conditions in a continuous electrical fryer. The most relevant were evaluated independently. The fat content was determined with ether extract in five production batches of unseasoned snacks. The moisture content of the pellet was determined using a thermobalance. The frying temperature was measured with the sensor of the industrial equipment. Flour and pellet samples from the snacks with the highest and lowest fat content were analyzed using a scanning electron microscope.

Results

Frying temperature showed a positive linear trend with snack fat content. However, the pellet moisture content was the factor with the greatest impact on the snack fat content (R2=0.90). Furthermore, a 0.1% increase in moisture content increased fat content by almost 2%. Nevertheless, qualitative flour analysis by scanning electron microscopy, showed that snacks with higher fat content had greater flour starch damage suggesting that starch damage may be the raw material characteristic with the greatest effect on the snack's fat content.

Significance

The fat content of snacks is affected by different factors. Therefore, to maintain a standardized and low-fat product, it is necessary to consider the damage to the starch in the flour, the moisture content of the pellet, and the frying temperature.

Authors: G. Fernández-Villanueva, A. Zuñiga-Escalante, F. Díaz-Sánchez, R. Navarro-Mendoza, M.E. Sosa-Morales