• The PEF-GUM treatment decreased oil absorption by nearly 25%. • PEF reduced acrylamide formation, mitigating potential health risks from fried foods. • The combined treatment maintained anthocyanin levels, preserving the chips' nutritional value. • Fried purple potato chips received higher sensory scores, demonstrating enhanced consumer appeal. • Alyssum homolocarpum seed gum offers a novel avenue for creating healthy, functional snack foods. This study evaluated the synergistic effects of pulsed electric field (PEF) pretreatment and Alyssum homolocarpum seed gum (GUM) edible coating on the quality and safety of fried purple potato chips prepared in olive oil. The combined PEF-GUM treatment significantly reduced oil uptake (from 40.01 % in the control to 30.42 %) and lowered acrylamide formation by approximately 67 %, demonstrating a strong mitigation effect compared to conventional frying. Although thermal processing caused a reduction in anthocyanins and phenolic compounds, the combined treatment showed improved retention relative to individual applications, indicating a partial protective effect. SEM observations confirmed that the integration of electroporation and surface coating produced a more compact microstructure with fewer surface pores, limiting oil penetration and oxidative degradation. In addition, the PEF-GUM treatment improved frying oil stability and maintained favorable sensory acceptability. These findings demonstrate that combining non-thermal PEF technology with natural hydrocolloid coatings provides a practical and innovative strategy for producing safer and nutritionally improved fried snacks.
Jafari et al. (Wed,) studied this question.