The effect of sulphur dioxide treatment before and after blanching on browning of dried potato crisps during storage / Harlina Salehudin

The extent of enzymatic browning reaction of dried potato crisps during storage was investigated. Factors such as browning inhibitors were evaluated in potato crisps processing, using qualitative and quantitative measurements of colour and texture changes. The potato slices were treated with sodium chloride and was blanched before and after dipped in sodium metabisuiphite solution separately. The concentration of sodium metabisuiphite used was 1000 ppm and 2000 ppm. Alcohol Soluble Colour (ASC) Index was used to measured the increment of brown pigmentation in potato crisps during storage. The decrease in lightness of potato crisps during storage was measured with Hunter Lab values of L*, a*, b*. The application of 2000 ppm sodium metabisuiphite to sample after blanching was better in term of colour of both ASC Index and Hunter Lab in the production of potato crisps, which effectively delay the onset browning after storage for a period of above 4 weeks. The texture of potato crisps became softer with an increase in sodium metabisuiphite solution used for both treatments.