Use of a combined process of osmotic dehydration and deep-fat frying to obtain mango chips from the cultivar Tommy Atkins

The variety of mango "Tommy Atkins" is becoming increasingly important in the semi-arid North eastern region of Brazil, leading to a search for ways to improve the value of this fruit, for example by implementing new processing technologies. The market for chips and snacks is constantly increasing, mostly using starch rich raw materials. Chips from low starch fruits, such as apple and pineapple, have also been gaining space on the foreign market, since apart from being attractive and practical, they can also serve as a source of vitamins and minerals. The chips should present the following characteristics: low fat contents, agreeable sensory characteristics, good texture and preservation of the nutrients, thus requiring optimisation of the process variables and use of pre-treatments. This study consists in the use of a combined process of pre-osmotic dehydration (carried out under vacuum and at atmospheric pressure) and deep-fat frying to develop mango chips from Tommy Atkins variety. Fat, moisture and vitamin C contents of the produced chips were determined, as well as sensory evaluation was applied.