How are potato chips produced? The production of potato chips mainly includes the following steps: washing, peeling, slicing, blanching, frying, degreasing, seasoning and packaging. Among them, the operation of each step has an important impact on the finished product, and we will introduce them one by one below.
 
1. Cleaning
The first step in potato chips production is to clean the potatoes. The purpose of cleaning is to remove the mud and impurities on the surface to prevent contamination of the product in subsequent processing. Usually a brush cleaning machine or high-pressure spray cleaning equipment is used. During operation, the cleaning water should be kept clean to avoid cross contamination.
Note: The potato skin is dirty and must be cleaned thoroughly; rotten or sprouted potatoes should be removed during the cleaning process to prevent affecting the flavor and food safety.
 
2. Peeling
The washed potatoes need to be peeled. Steam peeling or mechanical friction peeling is generally used in industry. Steam peeling is to heat the potatoes in high-pressure steam for a short time to loosen the skin, and then peel them mechanically. Mechanical peeling equipment uses a brush to grind the skin.
Note: Peeling should be thorough to minimize the loss of pulp and improve the utilization rate of raw materials.
 
3. Slicing
The peeled potatoes are transported to the slicer for cutting. The thickness of the slices directly affects the taste and frying time of the potato chips. Generally, the slice thickness is adjustable and controlled between 1.2 and 2.0 mm.
Note: The slice thickness should be kept consistent to avoid different quality of the finished product due to different thickness.
 
4. Blanching
The cut potato slices need to be blanched for a short time. The purpose of blanching is to remove excess starch, prevent sticking during frying, and inactivate enzyme activity by short-term heating to extend the shelf life. Blanching is usually done in hot water at 85-95°C for 30-60 seconds.
Note: The time and temperature must be strictly controlled. Too long or too high may cause the potato chips to become soft and affect the taste.
 
5. Frying
Frying is the most critical step in potato chip production. The blanched potato chips are fried in high-temperature cooking oil, generally controlled between 160 and 180°C, for about 2 to 3 minutes. Through frying, the moisture of the potato chips evaporates quickly, the structure becomes crispy, and a golden surface and a unique aroma are formed.
Note: The oil temperature should be stable to prevent burning or excessive oil absorption; the frying oil should be changed regularly to avoid using it for too long and producing harmful substances.
 
6. Degreasing
Fried potato chips contain a high amount of surface oil and need to be degreased to reduce the oil content and improve taste and storage. Common methods are centrifugal degreasing or vacuum degreasing. After degreasing, the surface of the potato chips is dry, which is more conducive to subsequent seasoning and packaging.
Note: The degreasing time should not be too long to avoid affecting the crispness of the potato chips; the equipment needs to be kept clean to prevent oil stains from contaminating the product.
 
7. Seasoning and packaging
After de-oiling, different flavors of seasonings are added to the potato chips according to the product formula, such as original flavor, barbecue flavor, tomato flavor, etc. After seasoning, they are cooled and transported to the automatic packaging line for metering and packaging. The packaging material must have good moisture resistance, light protection and sealing properties to ensure the crisp taste and shelf life of the potato chips.
Note: The seasoning should be uniform to prevent partial over-saltiness or tastelessness.
 
The above is the main production process of potato chips. In the entire production process, the core equipment is the potato chips making machine. This is an integrated and highly automated production line system, which includes multiple modules such as raw material lifting, cleaning machine, peeling machine, slicer, blanching machine, frying machine, deoiling machine, seasoning drum and packaging machine. It can achieve continuous operation, reduce manual intervention and improve efficiency.