The pivotal role of moisture content in the kinetic modelling of the quality attributes of vacuum fried chips

Moisture content plays a pivotal role in the kinetic modelling of the quality attributes during thermal processing of foods. Vacuum frying of mango chips, was chosen to demonstrate the applicability of this novel modelling approach that links a dynamic moisture model to models for changes in fat content, texture, and color. Results show that moisture loss is best described by an exponential model with an Ea of 40.0 ± 4.2 and 27.2 ± 2.3 kJ mol−1 for unripe and ripe mango respectively. The dynamic moisture content was linked to the fat content by a Gompertz model, and to the hardness by an exponential model. By using thermodynamic principles, the moisture model predicts the dynamic local product temperature that can be linked to the reaction rates of the consecutive color change reaction models. The integration of these models is a powerful tool in product and process optimization to produce high quality vacuum fried fruit products. Industrial relevance text: Food moisture content changes during many thermal processing techniques but it also plays a pivotal role in changes of the quality attributes of foods. Quality change models were developed that integrate changes in the moisture content with changes in quality attributes. These models can be applied to produce a minimal fat content and low moisture content while getting a desired color change and/or to produce a specific texture characteristics. Moisture dependent models for quality changes are powerful tools for optimizing many other products and process.