A new technology that can fry food with minimal oil has been developed by Kevin M Keener, a food scientist at the Purdue University, US.
Food cooked with the new radiant fryer retains its fried flavor, and has up to 50% fat and fewer calories than food fried using conventional methods. The food can also be more appealing as consumers would taste more ingredients and less oil, according to Keener.
The radiant fryer uses radiant energy to cook pre-formed food such as chicken patties, hamburgers and hash browns. Food is placed in wire trays that travel down a conveyor belt with radiant energy elements on each side.
Kevin M Keener said that as the amount of energy utilised to fry foods can be adjusted, the cook time could be 30% faster than with an oil immersion fryer.
"There is little to no oil to handle, which means the radiant fryer could eliminate risks associated with oil fryers, including the thousands of injuries each year from workers being burned," Keener added.
