RESUMO
There is insufficient information on the effect of temperature, moisture content (MC), and oil concentration on the mechanical properties of fried potatoes. The static mechanical testing capabilities of a dynamic mechanical analyzer (DMA) were utilized to measure the stress relaxation function of fried potatoes as a function of frying time, temperature, and testing temperature. The French fries were prepared in oil heated at 177°C, 184°C, and 191°C, and their MC and oil content (OC) values were measured as a function of frying time. The samples loaded in DMA were subjected to 2% strain, and the stress relaxation was performed for 600 s. The DMA furnace temperature was set at 37°C, 60°C, and 90°C. A two-element generalized Maxwell model was fitted into the DMA data. French Fries lost more than 70% of their moisture and absorbed more than 80% of their final OC during the first 180 s of frying. During the same interval (up to 180 s), the relaxation modulus parameters (G0 , G1 , and G2 ) did not change significantly and then increased linearly. These parameters also did not change considerably for MC above 2 g/g solids. At lower MC values, G1 and G2 increased as the MC was reduced, but the elastic modulus G0 stayed almost constant, independent of the MC.