| Most oils currently used for deep-tat frying contain trans-fatty acids, which have recently become a health concern. Unhydrogenated cottonseed and corn oil, which do not contain trans-fatty acids, were used for this frying study. Pre-baked white corn tortilla chips were fried in these two oils for a period of 100 hours, and repeated for two more trials. Samples of the oils and chips were drawn throughout the fry period and evaluated for quality. Objective evaluations showed the oils were reaching the end of their fry life. However, subjective sensory testing results indicated the chips were consistently acceptable throughout the frying period, according to statistical analysis. Also, fat and moisture analysis were not statistically different between the chips over the 100 frying hours. Unhydrogenated cottonseed and corn oil proved acceptable as frying mediums for restaurant style tortilla chips, even when the oils were past their fry life. |
