LAUSR

Abstract Sweet potatoes are nutritionally rich and can be converted into chips using a simple frying technique. However, frying processing variables affect the quality of chips significantly and optimization of processing variables is necessary to produce the desired quality chips. The objective of this study was to optimize the pre-drying time and the frying conditions (time and temperature) to obtain quality sweet potato chips with low fat. RSM with CCRD was used to develop regression and response surface models to observe the effect of pre-drying time and frying variables and optimize the frying conditions for the desired physicochemical properties of chips as response variables. The regression and response surface modeling indicated that the pre-drying time, frying temperature and frying time had a linear effect on moisture content, water activity, oil content and total color difference and a quadratic effect on L value, hardness and crispness of the sweet potato chips. The numerical and graphical optimization indicated that the quality of the chips was improved in the range of pre-drying (25-30 min), frying temperature (155-160°C) and frying time (5-6 min). The findings of this research will be helpful for a commercial setting of processing variables for sweet potato chips development within the experimental range.