title: Plasticized methylcellulose coating for reducing oil uptake in potato chips.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  As a result of consumers' health concerns and the trend towards healthier and low-fat food products, research has been undertaken to reduce the amount of fat absorbed in fried foods. This work focused on studying the efficacy of sorbitol and glycerol as plasticizers of methylcellulose coatings used to reduce oil uptake during the frying process of potato chips
  
  
  RESULTS
  Changes in color, mechanical properties, water activity and lipid oxidation during storage were monitored. Also, an explanation regarding the different performances between both methylcellulose coatings with and without plasticizer was attained and techniques from the field of packaging films such as dynamic mechanical analyzer (DMA) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy were applied to analyze the behavior of coatings submitted to the frying operation. The application of a methylcellulose coating was an adequate choice to reduce oil absorption in fried potato chips. The most effective formulation was 10 g L(-1) methylcellulose with the addition of 7.5 g L(-1) sorbitol. With the incorporation of this formulation, oil absorption was reduced by 30%. Neither the sorbitol concentration nor the presence of the MC coating affected the puncture maximum force and color parameters L and a*. The results of the sensory analysis indicated that the panelists could not distinguish between the coated and uncoated potato chips.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Methylcellulose-based coating plasticized with sorbitol could be an alternative for obtaining healthier potato chips.
authors.affiliation: Centro de Investigación y Desarrollo en Criotecnología de Alimentos (CIDCA), CONICET La Plata, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, La Plata, Argentina.
authors.forename: María José
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Tavera-Quiroz
authors.forename: Marina
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Urriza
authors.forename: Adriana
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pinotti
authors.forename: Nora
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Bertola
mesh_terms: D000042:Absorption; D003116:Color; D003258:Consumer Behavior; D003296:Cooking / Q000379:methods; D004032:Diet; D004041:Dietary Fats; D005511:Food Handling / Q000379:methods*; D005990:Glycerol / Q000737:chemistry; D006801:Humans; D008747:Methylcellulose / Q000737:chemistry*; D010938:Plant Oils / Q000737:chemistry*; D035281:Plant Tubers / Q000737:chemistry; D010968:Plasticizers / Q000737:chemistry*; D011198:Solanum tuberosum / Q000737:chemistry*; D013012:Sorbitol / Q000737:chemistry; D013314:Stress, Mechanical; D013402:Sugar Alcohols / Q000737:chemistry*; D000074242:Sunflower Oil; D013649:Taste
chemical_list: D004041:Dietary Fats; D010938:Plant Oils; D010968:Plasticizers; D013402:Sugar Alcohols; D000074242:Sunflower Oil; D013012:Sorbitol; D008747:Methylcellulose; D005990:Glycerol