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Effect of Deep-Fat Frying on French Fries Quality of New Somatic Hybrid

Potatoes

Article in European Potato Journal · June 2022

DOI: 10.1007/s11540-022-09556-x

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Potato Research
https://doi.org/10.1007/s11540-022-09556-x

Effect of Deep‑Fat Frying on French Fries Quality of New

Somatic Hybrid Potatoes

Mariem Kammoun1 · Radhia Gargouri‑Bouzid1 ·

Oumèma Nouri‑Ellouz1

Received: 27 October 2020 / Accepted: 25 May 2022

© The Author(s), under exclusive licence to European Association for Potato Research 2022

Abstract
The present study aimed to investigate the culinary quality of French fries of two
intraspecific hybrid lines (CN1 and CN2) compared to the commercial variety
Spunta. The choice of frying times and temperature was based on the oil absorp-
tion and colourimetric measurements carried out in the preliminary frying test on
the variety Spunta. The frying temperature of 180 °C for 5 and 7 min was selected.
In this report, we focused on studying the effect of deep-fat frying at 180 °C on the
different lines in order to assess their behaviour during the frying process. Colour
changes were recorded at mentioned frying conditions using the parameters of red-
ness a*, yellowness b* and clarity L*. Experimental data of moisture content, oil
absorption and texture in potato French fries of different lines during frying were
also investigated. Results showed that oil uptake remained almost stable in the fries
of hybrids with the lowest content presented in the CN1 line. Moreover, the rigid-
ity values of CN2 and CN1 fries were respectively 2- and threefold higher than in
Spunta fries for both frying times, leading to more crispy French fries. In addition,
French fries of hybrids exhibited the lowest moisture levels, which may prolong the
shelf-life of fried potatoes and their conservation.

Keywords Colour · Deep-fat frying · Moisture · Oil uptake · Texture

Introduction

Potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) is currently ranked as the world’s fourth most impor-
tant food crop after rice, wheat and maize (Zhang et al. 2017). According to FAO
estimates, in 2019, over 370 million metric tons of potatoes were produced world-
wide. Potato crop is mostly considered to be a source of energy, which is provided

* Mariem Kammoun
kammoun.mariem@live.fr
1
Laboratoire d’Amélioration Des Plantes Et Valorisation Des Agro‑Ressources, Ecole Nationale
d’Ingénieurs de Sfax, Route Soukra Km 4, B.P 1173, 3038 Sfax, Tunisia

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mainly by high-quality proteins, starch, fibres, minerals and a variable content of

phytonutrients, such as phenolics, vitamins and pigments, which are considered to
reduce chronic-diseases and promote human health (Giusti et al. 2014; Ayvaz et al.
2016). These compounds are more predominant in potatoes with coloured skin and/
or flesh that contain red and purple pigments due to the presence of anthocyanins
(Lachman et al. 2009).
As a raw material, potato is of particular interest because it can be consumed in
diverse forms. Indeed, fried potatoes are widely consumed followed by boiled and
baked potatoes. Actually, the contribution of French fries to world potato process-
ing was 64.68%, in 2006, followed by potato chips (14.43%) (Keijbets 2008; Rana
2011).
The cooking methods and processing may affect the nutrient content of the
final product. In fact, French fries are considered to be the most energy-rich
(900 kcal/100 g), containing almost three times as much energy as boiled potatoes
(Wijesinha-Bettoni and Mouillé 2019).
The high consumption of crisps and fries, along with the new consumer interest
in innovative and nutrient-dense products, has driven market demand for coloured
potatoes.
The chemical composition of potatoes is determined by the genotype and sev-
eral pre- and post-harvest factors (Arvanitoyannis et al. 2008). Moreover, cooking
treatments may induce, as well, significant changes in the physical and the chemical
compositions to influence organoleptic and nutritional properties of the potato prod-
ucts (Trystram 2010).
Actually, the frying of potatoes is an unsteady-state process involving heat and
mass transfer in which exposure to hot oil induces microstructural changes in the
raw potato (Aguilera and Stanley 1999). Deep-fat frying may lead likewise to the
appreciated surface colour and mechanical characteristics of fried potatoes that
influence consumer purchase and meet their expectations.
In fact, the heating of reducing sugars affects a complex set of reactions called
caramelization, which results in a browning of the colour of the final product.
Moreover, textural properties of fried potatoes are considered as a relevant attrib-
ute that have an influence on other sensorial characteristics such as appearance and
taste. Textural changes occurring during cooking of potatoes have been associated
with the gelatinization and retrogradation behaviour of starch (Fuentes-Zaragoza
et al. 2010).
Over the years, more attention has been paid on sensory characteristics of French
fries. But recently, there has been more emphasis on producing healthier French
fries due to the risk of diseases such as obesity, high blood pressure and cholesterol
levels linked to high-fat content of French fries induced by the oil absorption during
frying and post-frying process. Other negative factors such as high temperatures and
exposure to oxygen may occur during the frying process leading to the breakdown
of relevant nutritional compounds and the generation of certain heat-induced toxic
compounds such as acrylamide in the final product (Di Francesco et al. 2019; Mari-
otti et al. 2013). In addition to the processing temperature which was identified as a
relevant factor for the concentration of acrylamide in food, the duration of the fry-
ing process was also checked; it is evident that the acrylamide content increased not

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only with increasing temperature but also with frying time (Liyanage et al. 2021).
An important possibility for influencing the potential of acrylamide formation in
fried products is the raw material itself (Perera et al. 2021). The potato genotype
with its specific composition of acrylamide precursors and the environmental fac-
tors may determine the potential variables for the acrylamide formation (Perera et al.
2021). In fact, free asparagine and reducing sugars have been identified as relevant
precursors for the acrylamide formation (Liyanage et al. 2021). Furthermore, the
storage temperature of potatoes has an effect on the acrylamide concentration in
fried product. Lowering of the storage temperature from 8 to 4 °C may contribute to
the increase of reducing sugars concentration in the raw material, which leads to a
higher potential of acrylamide formation in the French fries.
Furthermore, scientists have focused on the different health effects of acrylamide
due to its high toxicity. It could lead to neurotoxicity, genotoxicity, carcinogenic-
ity, hepatotoxicity and reproductive toxicity in humans and animals. Becalski et al.
(2003) reported that amounts of acrylamide in various food matrices were highest in
potato chips (700–3700 ng/g) followed by French fries (200–1900 ng/g).
Besides unhealthy components formed during frying, oil undergoes deleterious
reactions including hydrolysis, oxidation and thermal alteration caused by oxygen
and heat. Oil absorption is recognized as one of the major factors playing a signifi-
cant adverse role in health hazard like coronary heart disease, cancer and hyperten-
sion. Also, fried potatoes may contribute to the glycemic load, which has been asso-
ciated with increased risk of diabetes type 2 (Bhupathiraju et al. 2014).
Potato cultivars with appropriate nutrient composition can contribute to the pro-
duction of French fries that are not only of good sensory quality, low in fat, with low
nutrient compounds for health, but also more nutritious. The selection of new varie-
ties of potatoes is important for the expansion of the French fry processing industry.
In a previous study, Nouri-Ellouz et al. (2006) reported that two intraspecific
somatic hybrids (CN1 and CN2) produced by protoplast fusion between dihaploid
lines of potato varieties Nicola and Cardinal, exhibited improved resistance to the soil
pathogen Pythium aphanidermatum and potato virus Y (PVY). These resistance traits
are of great interest in improving potato production and tuber quality. These somatic
hybrid potatoes represent good sources of energy because they provide high level of
carbohydrates (high content of dry matter and starch) (Nouri-Ellouz et al. 2017). Addi-
tionally, it was revealed that these hybrids can be considered as promising breeding
lines with a commercial value based on the fact that they provide a rich source of
beneficial bioactive compounds for nutrition with low concentration of glycoalkaloids
(Ben Jeddou et al. 2021; Kammoun et al. 2022). Moreover, Ben Jeddou et al. (2021)
reported that peel waste of CN1 somatic hybrid can be considered as a promising
source of high-value compounds that can be adequately validated for special market
needs.
Thus, the objective of this paper was to study the suitability of these hybrid col-
oured potatoes for frying compared to the commercial variety Spunta.

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Materials and Methods

Biological Material

The study was conducted using the commercial potato variety Spunta and two intraspe-
cific somatic hybrid lines: CN1 and CN2 resulting from protoplast fusion between
Cardinal and Nicola dihaploid potato lines (Nouri-Ellouz et al. 2006). The hybrid lines
and cv. Spunta (Sp) were maintained in vitro by subculturing single-node cuttings on
an MS (Murashige and Skoog 1962). Minitubers from in vitro plantlets of the CN1
hybrid and cv. Spunta were grown in the greenhouse at the National Engineering School
of Sfax (ENIS, Tunisia), and then, tubers of the second generation were produced in
the field using the current cultivation process applied in Tunisia. During culture periods,
plants were sprinkled with tap water every 2 days.
Tubers harvested 5 days after haulm pulling were analysed. Then, they were washed
and were stored at 4 °C in the dark until analyses.

Nutrient Composition of Potato Tubers

Protein, lipid and ash contents of the hybrid and Sp potato tubers were analysed accord-
ing to the American Association of Cereal Chemists 2000 standard methods 46–30,
30–10 and 08–01 respectively. The starch content was determined using the enzymatic
colourimetric method described by Khabou et al. (1996). The reduced sugar content
was determined by the acid 3, 5-dinitrosalicylic (DNS) method as described by Miller
(1959).

Preparation of Potato Fries

Potatoes (about 8 for each test) were peeled and then cut with “fry cutters” into strips of
dimensions 10 mm × 10 mm × 40 mm (Krokida et al. 2001). They were then blanched
in water, heated at 85 °C for 3.5 min (Pedreschi et al. 2005) in order to remove the sug-
ars retained on the surface. They were then drained for 20 min on air. The potato strips
were deep fried in a bath of corn oil (Nejma). For preliminary tests, potato strips of Sp
variety were fried at three different temperatures (170, 180 and 190 °C) for three differ-
ent frying times (5, 7 and 10 min) using an electric deep fryer (Delonghi).
Frying times and temperatures used for hybrid potato lines were then chosen on
the basis of preliminary experiments performed on the Sp variety. The study was
then focused on oil absorption and colourimetric measurements, in order to obtain
and compare products with different colour degrees (under and over fried products).
The oil of the deep fryer was renewed after the frying of each potato line.

Analysis of Colour of Potato Fries

Colour measurements (CIE L*a*b* parameters) were performed as described by

Serpen and Gökmen (2009). The total colour change (DE) was calculated using the
following formulae:

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√� ∗2
a + b∗2 + L∗2
�
ΔE =

where L* (clarity), a* (redness) and b* (yellowness) correspond to the CIE (Interna-

tional Commission on Illumination) colour parameters of potatoes fried in different
conditions.

Analysis of Yields of Potato Fries

The yields of potato fries were determined by measuring the weight of potato strips
before blanching and after frying. The yield was calculated as follows:
Weight of potatofries
Potato fries yield (%) = ∗ 100
Weight of fresh potato

Analysis of Texture of Potato Fries

Samples of potato fries were evaluated by the texture profile analysis (TPA) method
using a texture analyser (texture analyser: LLOYD instruments, England) equipped
with a 1000 (N) load cell, and a 0.05 (N) detection range. A sample of potato fries
was transferred into a moulded Nalgene polypropylene tube (5-cm height) that was
placed in a fixture to hold it in place under the texture analyser. An acrylic cylindri-
cal probe was used to compress the sample by 50% of its original height (40 mm)
at a speed of 10 mm/s. The texture analyser was interfaced with a computer, which
controls the instruments and analyses the data, using the software supplied by Tex-
ture Technologies Corp. Textural parameters (rigidity, cohesiveness, breaking
strength, adhesiveness, chewiness and springiness) were calculated from the TPA
curves.

Oil Uptake and Moisture Level of Potato Fries

The determination of oil uptake content was based on the method described by
Krokida et al. (2000). Oils were extracted from samples of French fries using petro-
leum ether. Dried potato fries (2 g) were ground and mixed with 100 ml of petro-
leum ether. After 4 h of incubation, 10 ml of the extract was evaporated in a capsule
calibrated to 80 °C until constant weight. The percentage of oil uptake of fries was
determined as follows:
[ ] [ ]
(V × P) ∕ (v − P ∕ 0.9) × 100 ∕ X

where X is the weight of the sample, V is the volume of petroleum ether used, P is
the weight of extracted oil, v is the volume of the sample, and 0.9 is the density of
the used oil.
The moisture of potato fries was determined by drying samples at 105 °C until
constant weight. The moisture content was determined as follows:

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Weight of fresh French fries − Weight of dry French fries

Moisture content (%) = ∗ 100
Weight of fresh French fries

Statistical Analysis

All data were represented by the mean ± standard deviation. They were sub-
jected to the ANOVA test and compared by the Newman-Keuls test by Graphpad
prism software. Comparisons with p-value < 0.05 were considered significantly
different.

Results

Chemical Composition of Potato Tubers

Tubers from the hybrid lines (CN1 and CN2) are characterized by their pink skin
and yellow flesh (Fig. 1). The chemical composition of the tubers (dry mass,
starch, sugar, protein, lipid and ash content) of potato tubers from the differ-
ent lines was evaluated (Table 1). The Sp commercial variety was used as con-
trol because it is the main variety used in Tunisia (80% of cultivated varieties;
CTPTA: Technical Center of Potato and Artichoke; www.​ctpta.​tn) (Ilahy et al.
2019).
There were significant differences in the percentage of dry matter among lines.
The Sp tubers displayed significantly lower dry matter content (16.8%) than
the hybrid lines. Furthermore, CN1 and CN2 hybrid lines exhibited also higher
starch content (19.15 and 17.70%, respectively) than the commercial Sp variety
(14.74%). The CN2 tubers showed the lowest reduced sugar content. On the other
hand, it was noted that the Sp variety had the lowest protein and lipid content
compared to the other lines.

Fig. 1  Morphology of potato tubers of the Sp variety and intraspecific hybrid lines (CN1 and CN2)

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Table 1  Nutrient composition of Sp CN1 CN2

potato tuber of different lines
Dry matter (%) 16.79b ± 1.08 22.91a ± 3.70 21.52a ± 2.46
a a
Reduced sugar (%) 0.38 ± 0.02 0.37 ± 0.03 0.29b ± 0.01
c a
Starch (%) 14.75 ± 1.08 19.15 ± 1.06 17.73b ± 1.72
b a
Protein (%) 1.30 ± 0.21 2.30 ± 0.32 2.03b ± 0.11
c a
Lipid (%) 0.04 ± 0.01 0.10 ± 0.01 0.09b ± 0.01
Ash (%) 0.68c ± 0.14 1.10a ± 0.22 0.94b ± 0.15

Data are based on fresh matter. Values represented in each line with
different superscripts (a–c) are significantly different at p < 0.05
(means of three replicates)

Preliminary Tests of Frying with Spunta Tubers

Three frying temperatures (170, 180 and 190 °C) and three frying times (5, 7 and
10 min) were tested. The L*a*b* colour values were measured on the potato fries
surface at each frying time and temperature (Fig. 2).
The results confirmed the interaction effect of the temperature and frying time
on the colour of French fries. As expected, the increase of the frying tempera-
ture produced a decrease in L* values and an increase in a* and b* values. This
effect was more pronounced at the frying temperature of 190 °C. Similarly, com-
paring the frying time effect on colour for each considered temperature, the ten-
dency was a decrease in L* and an increase in a* and b* values with prolonging
frying times. The colour of French fries was more intense when the frying time
increased.
The highest oil content was measured in potatoes fried at 170 °C for the different
frying times (Fig. 2d). This preliminary study showed that the most suitable frying
temperature was 180 °C, as it gave a better quality of fries destined for marketing
and that meets the consumer expectations. This frying temperature was retained for
subsequent analyses of hybrid potatoes for two frying times (5 and 7 min).

Evaluation of French Fries Colour

The colour of French fries of different lines was measured by colourimetry based on
red components (a*), yellow component (b*) and clarity (L*) (Fig. 3). These com-
ponents were determined for raw potatoes and fried potatoes of different lines at
180 °C. A decrease in red component was obtained after blanching and frying for 5
and 7 min.
The highest intensities of the red colour were observed in the CN1 hybrid line.
The red colour increased similarly in French fries of the CN2 line and Sp variety
(30–40%) when frying time was prolonged. However, it remained stable for fries of
CN1 line when frying time increased from 5 to 7 min. The yellow component “b” is
the most important in the French fries of CN1 line. The fried products of the CN1
hybrid line also exhibited the best levels of clarity (L*).

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Fig. 2  Preliminary analysis of colour components: red index (a), yellow index (b), luminosity (c) and oil absorption content (d) of the Sp variety fried at different frying
temperature (170, 180 and 190 °C) for 3 three frying times (5, 7 and 10 min). Each value is represented by the mean ± SD. Asterisk (*) indicates a significant difference
between three frying temperatures (170 °C, 180 °C and 190 °C) at p < 0.05
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Fig. 3  A Appearance of fried potatoes at 180 °C for 7 min of different lines. B Effect of frying process
on the colour parameters of potato tubers of different lines a* (a), b* (b), L* (c) and ΔE (d). Each value
is represented by the mean ± SD. Asterisk (*) indicates a significant difference between two frying times
(5 and 7 min) at p < 0.05

Analysis of Yields of Potato Fries

The yields of fried potatoes of different lines were measured by determining

the weight of the potato strips before and after frying at 180 °C (Fig. 4a). The
results showed that the yields of potato fries of the CN2 hybrid line after frying
for 5 min were close to those of the Sp variety. However, the CN1 tubers showed
lower yields than the others did. Yields decreased significantly after 7 min of fry-
ing for all potato lines.

Evaluation of French Fries Texture

The textural properties of potato lines fried at 180 °C for 5 and 7 min were evalu-
ated by the following parameters: springiness, rigidity, adhesiveness, chewi-
ness, cohesiveness and breaking strength (Table 2). Cohesiveness, chewiness,

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Fig. 4  Yield of potato French fries after frying of different potato lines at 180 °C for 5 and 7 min (a); effect of frying process on oil uptake (b) and moisture level (c) of dif-
ferent potato lines fried at 180 °C for 5 and 7 min. Each value is represented by the mean ± SD. Asterisk (*) indicates a significant difference between two frying times (5
and 7 min) at p < 0.05
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Table 2  Textural parameters of French fries of hybrid potatoes after 5 and 7 min frying at 180 °C
Sample Rigidity(N/mm) Breaking strength (N) Cohesiveness Springiness (mm) Chewiness (Nmm) Adhesiveness (N)

Frying: (5 min, 180 °C) Sp 4.56c ± 0.82 0.96 ± 0.1 0.12 ± 0.011 2.19 ± 0.82 1.99 ± 0.78 0.86 ± 0.20
CN1 16.76a ± 3.27 1.25 ± 0.13 0.12 ± 0.018 1.71 ± 0.68 1.72 ± 0.23 0.93 ± 0.36
CN2 10.17b ± 1.82 1.12 ± 0.32 0.12 ± 0.018 2.21 ± 0.80 2.09 ± 0.54 1.62 ± 0.75
Frying: (7 min, 180 °C) Sp 6.14C ± 1.46 1.17 ± 0.20 0.11 ± 0.012 2.14 ± 0.86 1.97 ± 0.72 0.87 ± 0.32
CN1 19.84A ± 3.76 1.29 ± 0.17 0.13 ± 0.02 1.67 ± 0.66 1.75 ± 0.27 0.92 ± 0.47
CN2 12.01B ± 2.17 1.31 ± 0.38 0.13 ± 0.028 2.20 ± 0.88 2.14 ± 0.77 1.65 ± 0.90

Different lowercase (a, b, c) and uppercase (A, B, C) letters indicate significant differences (p < 0.05) between the different lines fried respectively for 5 and 7 min

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springiness and adhesiveness values were not significantly different between

hybrid and Sp potatoes when fried for 5 and 7 min.
The rigidity values of CN2 and CN1 fries were respectively 2- and threefold
higher than Sp fries for both frying times, leading to crispy French fries.
French fries of CN1 tubers showed also the lowest springiness and chewiness val-
ues in comparison to the Sp and CN2 lines.
In addition, Table 2 shows that the adhesiveness values of French fries increased
slightly but not significantly with frying time for hybrid lines since it is related to
starch gelatinization.
Moreover, the breaking force increased in the different fried potatoes when frying
time increased from 5 to 7 min. French fries of Sp tubers exhibited the lowest break-
ing force after 5 and 7 min of deep frying.

Analysis of Potato Oil Uptake and Moisture Loss

The oil uptake content was evaluated in French fries of the hybrid and control
potatoes after 5 and 7 min of frying at 180 °C. The results showed that oil reten-
tion increased with frying time differently according to the line (Fig. 4b). In fact,
it remained almost constant in the CN1 and CN2 potatoes, whereas it increased by
30% for the Sp variety by increasing the frying time from 5 to 7 min. The lowest
oil content was measured in the French fries of the CN1 hybrid after 7 min of fry-
ing. Similarly, French fries of hybrid potatoes exhibited the lowest moisture levels
(Fig. 4c), which is in favour of a better conservation of these products.

Discussion

Potato is the second most important crop in Tunisia after tomatoes. It is one of the
staple foods of the Tunisian diet since local consumption per capita per year is cur-
rently exceeding 30 kg (Ilahy et al. 2019). Nonetheless, the potato processing sector
is still limited and unorganized. The lack of a significant potato processing industry
has dampened the demand for varieties with better processing characteristics such as
uniformity and dry matter content.
Potato breeding has shown the ability to deliver varieties with market-demanded
processing qualities and new traits for higher resilience against climatic extremes,
pest and diseases threats, and with enhanced nutritional qualities.
Potatoes can undergo many physical, chemical and biochemical changes accord-
ing to the applied processing conditions. Thus, it is important to determine the
changes of nutrient composition of potatoes occurring during processing, besides
sensory features for defining which is the appropriate variety used for the French
fries production.
In the present study, the chemical composition of CN1 and CN2 hybrid potatoes
was analysed and compared to Sp tubers. The results indicated that dry matter con-
tents of CN1 and CN2 tubers were almost equal, but approximately 1.3-fold higher
than that determined in Sp variety. According to the dry matter content, potatoes can

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be classified into three groups: high dry matter content (higher than 20.0%), inter-
mediate dry matter content (contents between 18.0 and 19.9%) and low dry matter
content (contents lower than 17.9%) (Silveira et al. 2017). In this sense, measured
dry matter content exhibited that hybrid potatoes are especially suitable for frying,
seeing that potatoes destined for frying should have higher values of dry matter
content in order to limit the oil absorption during the process. However, Sp variety
belonged to the low dry matter group; therefore, it would be appropriate for boiling.
The level of sugars in potato tubers is likewise an important factor affecting qual-
ity in potatoes, especially colour of processed products (Sharkar et al. 2019; Stark
et al. 2020). The principal reason for the critical role of sugars in determining the
quality of potatoes is the fact that frying at high temperature results in a typical
Maillard reaction between these sugars and the free amino acids present in the tuber
(Stark et al. 2020).
Tubers from the different lines showed levels of reduced sugar that are below
0.6% suggesting their use in producing French fries as it results in a product with
low toxic acrylamide content after frying (Sanny et al. 2012).
Potato proteins are of particular interest despite their low concentration. They
have higher nutrient quality than most plant proteins (He et al. 2013). This study
revealed that CN1 and CN2 hybrids exhibited the highest levels of proteins com-
pared to Sp tubers.
First of all, preliminary tests were performed on the commercial Sp tubers to opti-
mize frying conditions for subsequent analysis according to the oil absorption and
colourimetric measurements of the final product. A frying temperature of 180 °C
for two frying times (5 and 7 min) was selected to study the effect of frying process
on hybrid potatoes. Since blanching has been reported as a pre-treatment that could
improve the colour and texture of French fries before deep-fat frying, potato strips
were blanched previously (Ragab et al. 2019).
The aspect and colour of the surface of French fries is the first quality param-
eter evaluated by consumers and it is critical in the acceptance of the final product.
This is because consumers tend to associate the visual appearance of French fries
with preference in taste and crispiness (Mendoza et al. 2007). Colour is one of the
most important French fries appearance characteristics that are strictly related to the
consumer perception (Segnini et al. 1999; Marique et al. 2003). The taste of French
fries and the appearance of brown spots are related to the chemical composition and
mainly to reducing sugar content (glucose and fructose). Moreover, free amino acids
are involved in the non-enzymatic browning reactions, known as the Maillard reac-
tion. This reaction depends on the content of reducing sugars and proteins, tempera-
ture and frying time (Wiberley-Bradford et al. 2016). The Maillard reaction has also
been shown to generate acrylamide (Cécile et al. 2016) from the main precursors,
which are reducing sugars and asparagine amino acid (Yang et al. 2016). In addition,
in some studies, the acrylamide content in French fries has been related to colour
(Adedipe et al. 2016; Starowicz and Zieliński, 2019).
Therefore, the evaluation of French fries colour components could be useful to
provide an estimation of the quality of the final product. Indeed, colour compo-
nents of potato strips from different lines were measured by colourimetry based

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on red (a*) component, yellow component (b*) and clarity (L*) after frying at
180 °C for 5 and 7 min.
The red index (a*) is the most important parameter in the colouring of French
fries. It reflects the degree of browning associated with acrylamide formation
(Pedreschi et al. 2005; Serpen and Gökmen 2009). Potato slices tend to show pro-
gressive increase of a* values with increasing frying time (Pedreschi et al. 2004).
The b* yellow index is also a good measure of quality. It is generally related to
yellow products, which is desirable for fried products (Romani et al. 2009).
Our results showed that the red colour increased in the same way in French
fries of CN2 and Sp tubers (30–40%) when frying time was prolonged. The
increase of red index during frying is related to non-enzymatic browning reac-
tions. However, this red index remained stable for fries of CN1 tubers when fry-
ing time increased from 5 to 7 min.
The yellow component “b” is the most important in the CN1 French fries.
These French fries exhibited also the best levels of clarity (L*), which may facili-
tate consumer acceptance.
Besides, many studies used texture analysis to assess physical properties
related to perceived crispness. A more step-wise approach would be useful that
is first defining how the physical properties (moisture content and oil content)
of the product arise due to different frying conditions and consequently explain
the observed textural properties. Textural parameters of the fries of the different
tubers (rigidity, springiness, cohesiveness, breaking strength, adhesiveness and
chewiness) were determined as defined by Singh et al. (2009).
Relevant differences in textural characteristics were observed between Sp,
CN1 and CN2 potato fries. The results showed a great improvement of the tex-
tural properties in CN1 and CN2 hybrid potato fries compared to the Sp variety.
Indeed, a higher rigidity of fries was observed in CN1 and CN2 products after 5
and 7 min of frying. However, no significant difference was obtained in cohesive-
ness, springiness and chewiness parameters. A significant increase in the rigidity
was also observed when frying increased from 5 to 7 min which is due to the
dehydration of the outer tissue of the fried potatoes forming the crust. The CN1
French fries exhibited the highest rigidity and the lowest chewiness and springi-
ness. These properties are related to the highest dry matter and starch content
of these potatoes. These results coincided with those of McComber et al. (1987)
who reported that high cohesiveness values were found for mealy American pota-
toes. Also, Gupta et al. (2015) reported that potato tubers with high dry matter
content tend to have a floury/mealy texture, a characteristic that is highly appreci-
ated by consumers.
The rigidity nature of hybrid fries was improved compared to Sp fries after
5 and 7 min of frying, leading to crispness aspect of these products due to their
highest dry matter and starch contents. Das et al. (2021) reported that the crispi-
ness and hardness of fried potato were found to be directly related to the starch
content of tubers. The crunchy texture is expected since crispness is an indicator
of high quality that dependent on the dry matter content of the raw potato mate-
rial. Indeed, high dry matter tubers led to harder texture and lower oil retention of
French fries. Consequently, the breaking force increased in different lines when

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frying proceeded from 5 to 7 min. Indeed, Teruel et al. (2015) indicated that for
larger frying time intervals (> 5 min), the breaking force increased due to a crust
formation.
A little change was observed in the adhesiveness parameter related to the required
force removing masses of potato adhered after mastication (García-Segovia et al.
2008). Our results showed that the adhesiveness nature of French fries product of
CN2 hybrid tubers seems to be higher compared to CN1 and Sp. These findings can
be related to the high content of starch and starch composition. Indeed, a gelatini-
zation process usually associated to the adhesiveness characteristic of French fries
is mostly due to the highly amylose content of starch in raw material (Kaur et al.
2002).
The oil uptake and moisture contents of fries were evaluated after frying at
180 °C for 5 and 7 min to investigate the effect of the deep-fat frying process on
hybrid potatoes. It is important to underline that oil uptake is mainly a superficial
phenomenon involving an equilibrium between adhesion and drainage of oil during
the post-frying process (cooling period), when the product is removed from the oil
bath (Arslan et al. 2018). It is worth mentioning that even at this stage, oil penetra-
tion is limited to the crust and product surface (Arslan et al. 2018).
As shown in Fig. 4c, the moisture content of potato slices decreased significantly
during frying in all potato lines. Arslan et al. (2018) reported that frying causes a
decrease of the water content of the food, which is a characteristic of this cooking
process.
The average percentage of oil absorption in potatoes varies between 12 and 15%
for French fries which is in accordance with the results of Moreira et al. (1999). The
lowest oil content was recorded for the CN1 French fries. The oil uptake content
remained stable in hybrid line fries when frying time increased from 5 to 7 min.
These results suggest a stability of the hybrid products which could be due to the
higher dry matter content and therefore lower moisture content than in Sp potatoes.
The moisture content can influence the absorption of oil during frying because of
the positive relationship between moisture loss and oil absorption (Ziaiifar et al.
2008).

Conclusion

The present study aimed to investigate culinary quality of French fries of intraspe-
cific hybrid lines compared to the commercial Sp variety. Hybrid potatoes showed
good potential for processing through frying due to a high dry matter content, which
should result in products of good textural quality. These potato lines are, therefore,
tentatively good candidates to be used for the food industry with good sensorial
characteristics.

Author Contribution All authors conceived and designed the study. MK conducted the experiments, ana-
lysed the data and wrote the paper. The work was supervised with the guidance of RG-B and ON-E.

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Declarations

Ethics Approval This article does not contain any studies with human or animal subjects.

Conflict of Interest The authors declare no competing interests.

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