A Review of Methods for the Regulation of the Oil Absorption Rate of Starch-Based Fried Products

Abstract

Deep-frying is a traditional cooking method in China, endowing the product with unique crispy characteristic but also greasiness. High-calorie fried foods can create health risks. Many attempts have been made by researchers to reduce the absorption of oil during the frying process while ensuring the good quality of deep-fried products. This paper reviews the oil-absorbing behavior of deep-fried starch-based products during the frying process and describes several methods to regulate the oil content of deep-fried products. Adding functional ingredients (proteins or starches and a combination of hydrocolloids with the main ingredients of the product) is in line with the current trend of nutritious and low-fat foods. Coating technology, which utilizes natural macromolecules as an oil barrier, has promising applications in the production of low-fat fried foods. In addition, new frying technologies such as vacuum frying, air frying and spray frying are becoming increasingly mature, and can gradually replace traditional frying for the production of low-fat fried products according to the needs of industrial production. All regulatory measures described in this paper can reducing the oil content of different fried products to different degrees, which will provide a scientific and theoretical basis for selecting a suitable measure for oil reduction in different fried starch-based products based on their oil absorption mechanisms, and provide a theoretical reference for the development of low-fat fried products.

Keywords

• oil absorption mechanism; regulatory methods; functional ingredients; vacuum frying; air frying