SIMULTANEOUS HEAT AND MASS-TRANSFER DURING THE DEEP FAT FRYING OF TORTILLA CHIPS

The heating and water loss of a single tortilla chip during deep fat f rying was investigated experimentally and the data were analyzed by wr iting two heat and mass transfer balances. The equations were solved u sing explicit finite difference technique, Oil uptake as a function of frying time was described by a first order exponential equation. The empirical and theoretical heat and mass transfer agreed well. The effe ct of oil temperature on the moisture loss and oil uptake as a functio n of frying time was analyzed. Moisture loss rate increased as tempera ture increased. The effects of temperature on oil uptake were not sign ificant during the first 15 s of frying, however, the final oil conten t was higher for the tortilla chip fried at 190C than at 150C for 60 s .