Monitoring and modelling of physicochemical properties of papaya chips during vacuum frying to control their sensory attributes and nutritional value

Vacuum frying is an alternative technology to obtain fruit snacks with higher sensory and nutritional quality compared traditional fried snacks. of a carotenoid-rich (red-fleshed papaya) was performed at 25 kPa, using soybean oil 100, 120, 140 °C from 0 14 min. The study aimed monitor model physicochemical changes that chips undergo during vacuum frying, which are related their attributes. Moisture content, aw, uptake, sugar browning index (BI) carotenoid contents were monitored. Water loss uptake followed first-order kinetics while the decrease in aw logistic trend. Glucose fructose same degradation pattern BI sucrose content increased as function time temperature. ?-cryptoxanthin (BCX) second-order retention 60 40% after min 120 °C, respectively. Contents lycopene ?-carotene suggesting improvement availability these compounds extraction. Optimal conditions for processing papaya comprise combination temperatures (107–120 °C) times (9–14 min) produce ranging 0.1 0.3, low color BCX ?30%.