Manufacturing of banana chips

In the production of banana chips, thin banana slices of 1.75 to 2.0 thicknesses are soaked in a solution containing NaCl, citric acid, and potassium metabisulfate for 30 min. They are removed, wiped and then deep-frying in a suitable cooking medium and salting them.

Coconut oil is the most preferred medium in India, while cottonseed oil or corn oil is used in other countries.

The excess oil is removed by wiping. Antioxidants are added to keep the product from becoming rancid.

Many variations of banana chips exist. Chips are coated with cane sugar and refried to produce sugar-coated banana chips. Another variation is that chips are coated with a mixture of banana puree and sugar before frying the second time.

The chips are stored in high-density polyethylene bags, which in turn are kept in sealed tins.
Manufacturing of banana chips

Process of deep frying

Fried food has been known to mankind since antiquity. The consumption of fried products is continually increasing in most countries which is due not only to their easy and fast preparation but mainly to their specific, agreeable flavor.

Currently, fried food has grown into one of the major segments of the food processing industry. The deep frying is a process where food is heated for a short time at a high temperature.

Meat, fish, doughnuts, potato chips or french fries are dipped into fat (oil) heated to about 180 ° C. Deep frying will color the food and give it a crunchy texture on the outside, inside the remains moist.

During deep fat frying, three types of chemical reactions process in the deep frying medium, influencing the flavor:
*hydrolytic processes
*oxidative processes
*pyrolytic processes

The frying fat or oil substantially in its chemical and physical properties after prolonged use.

During deep frying, heat transferred from oil is carried off as latent heat of vaporization and thus maintains the temperature of the food/oil interface virtually at 100° C, preventing charring or burning of the food.

As water content decreases, the amount of thermal energy carried off as latent heat of vaporization starts to decline and the food/oil interface temperature begins to increase, leading potentially to charring or burning of the food.

Frying oils not only transfer heat to cook foods but also help produce distinct fried food flavor and unfortunately, undesirable off-flavors if the oil is deteriorated.

In the deep frying antioxidants in the oils such as vitamin E and carotene are used up. Then it produce free radicals that start chain reactions in oil molecules.

Deep frying also produce some trans-fatty acids.

Process of deep frying