Raw Material Properties and Technological Knowledge in Potato

Processing Industry

Submitted to: Dr.(Mrs.) Preeti Ahluwalia

By: Mrs. Jagbir Rehal

In addition to using fresh potatoes for home consumption, the crop can be processed into a
range of value-added products such as crisps, various snack food items, French fries, dried
products such as flakes, and convenience products such as pre-peeled potatoes. In order for farmers
to produce potatoes for processing, it is necessary for the potato industry to come up with good
quality raw materials.
Tuber quality aspects
There are two important parameters that are used to determine tuber quality for processing,
external and internal aspects.
External qualities
Size and Shape: For making chips of uniform size, the tubers should be round to oval in shape.
Size between 40 and 60 mm are ideal for preparing crisps. Processing of crisps from tubers larger
than 60 mm would expose the large slices to damage after packaging. For French fries, oblong to
long tubers are preferred (larger than 50 mm), while for flakes, though round to oval shape is
desirable, the requirement of shape is not very strict. For canning, small tubers of round to oval
shape are suitable. Medium to large size tubers with shallow eyes are preferred for most of the
processed products as these results in lower peeling losses.
Shape of the tubers is significant to the processors of crisps and French fries since it affects peel
loss or recovery. Absence of defects such as diseased potatoes with rot, sprouts or greening
minimises loss when trimming and results in uniformity of the processed product. Tubers with
defects will result in defects in poor quality finished products. Greened potatoes are unfit for
consumption because of the high content of toxic glycoalkaloids which build up beneath the
surface of the skin.
Internal qualities
The internal qualities include dry matter content, sugar content and discoloration in cut tubers and
processed products. Profitability and consumer appeal are influenced greatly by these qualities.
Some cultivars are unsuitable for processing directly from the field due to low specific gravity of
less than 1.070, high reducing sugar content of more than 0.2-0.3% or high levels of toxic
glycoalkaloids of more than 20 mg/l00 g fresh weight.
Tuber dry matter content: The dry matter content of tubers is the most important character
determining quality and yield of fried and dehydrated products. If the dry matter content is too
low, the French fries or crisps will be too soft or too wet and will need more heat to fry in order to
evaporate the water. Higher dry matter or solids content results in higher recovery of processed
products, lower oil absorption, lesser energy consumption and crispy texture of the product. Lower
oil content in fried products results in longer shelf life of the product. For canning, tubers of low
dry matter are preferred as higher dry matter content results in sloughing of tubers. Potatoes with
a dry matter content of 20-24% are ideal for making French fries while those with a dry matter
content of up to 24% are ideal for preparing crisps. For quick estimation of dry matter content of
tubers meant for processing, the industry usually determines the specific gravity of potatoes as
both tuber dry matter and specific gravity have high positive correlation.

Reducing sugar content: The reducing sugars (glucose and fructose) present in tubers play a
critical role in determining colour of fried products. The product becomes coloured during frying
at high temperatures due to the 'Maillard reaction' between reducing sugars and free amino acids
present in tubers. Presence of excessive amounts of reducing sugars in potato tubers result in
unacceptably dark colour and bitter taste in fried products. Besides colour and flavour of fried
products, Maillard reaction is also related to formation of acrylamide, which is considered a
potentially toxic compound. Potato crisps make the highest demands on content of reducing sugars,
which should not be more than 0.23.0% of the fresh weight. For French fries, the reducing sugar
could be up to 0.5% of the fresh weight.
Technological knowledge

 Newer cutting technology, for example, installation of hydrocutter, which turns potatoes
along their long axis, thus reducing wastage during slicing.
 When they are stored at low temperatures (<10◦C) to prevent losses due to shrinkage and
disease and to prevent sprouting, they undergo a phenomenon called low-temperature
sweetening. This results primarily from the accumulation of reducing sugars (glucose and
fructose) as starch breaks down. These sugars interact with amino acids in the Maillard
reaction, causing unacceptably dark fried products. It is often possible to reduce the effects
of low temperature storage by reconditioning the cold-stored tubers at warmer temperatures
prior to processing. This causes some of the sugars to be converted back into starch.
 Breeding for low levels of reducing sugars minimizing reducing sugars in tubers is
expected to reduce levels of acrylamides in finished products. Selection of cultivars with
low levels of acrylamide precursors can alleviate concern about potatoes as significant
sources of acrylamides
 Research in breeding for increased levels of amylose in potato starch because high amylose
starch has superior nutritional qualities. Following cooking, a portion of high amylose
starch recrystallizes to form so-called resistant starch, which acts as a form of dietary fiber
 CIPC (isopropyl-N (3-chlorophenyl) carbamate) treated potatoes can be successfully
stored at 10±1°C and 90-95% RH for five months with low reducing sugars and acceptable
processing and culinary quality as compared to potato stored at 2-3°C.
 Use of Supercritical Fluid Extraction for extracting oils from potato chips. It is reported
that potato chips containing about 45-50 wt% oil can be extracted of about 50% of their
oils while retaining the original flavour and texture.