ANNEX IU.K. MITIGATION MEASURES REFERRED TO IN ARTICLE 2(1)
I.PRODUCTS BASED ON RAW POTATOESU.K.
(b) FRENCH FRIES AND OTHER CUT DEEP FRIED OR OVEN-FRIED POTATO PRODUCTS U.K.
Recipe and Process design U.K.
1.Potatoes shall be tested for reducing sugars prior to use. This can be done by fry testing using colours as an indicator of potential high reducing sugar content: indicative fry testing 20-25 centre strips, which are fried to evaluate frying colours of the potato strips against the colour specification using a USDA Munsell colour chart or calibrated company-specific charts for small operators. Alternatively the overall finished frying colour can be measured by specific equipment (e.g. Agtron).U.K.
2.FBOs shall remove immature tubers having a low underwater weight and high reducing sugar levels. The removal can be done by passing tubers through a salt brine or similar systems which make immature tubers float or by pre-washing potatoes to detect bad tubers.U.K.
3.FBOs shall remove slivers right after cutting to avoid burned pieces in the final cooked product.U.K.
4.FBOs shall blanch potato strips to remove some of the reducing sugars from the outside of the strips.U.K.
5.FBOs shall adapt blanching regimes to the specific quality attributes of the incoming raw material and they shall stay within specification limits for finished product colour.U.K.
6.FBOs shall prevent (enzymatic) discolouration and after cooking darkening of potato products. This can be done by applying disodium diphosphate (E450), which also lowers the pH level of the washing water and inhibits the browning reaction.U.K.
7.The use of reducing sugars as a browning agent shall be avoided. They may be used only if needed, to consistently stay within specification limits. FBOs shall control the colour of the final product by performing colour checks on the final cooked product. If needed after blanching, controlled addition of dextrose enables meeting the finished colour specification. Controlled addition of dextrose after blanching results in lower acrylamide levels in the final cooked product at the same colour as observed in unblanched products with only naturally accumulated reducing sugars.U.K.
Information to the end users U.K.
1.For the end users, FBOs shall indicate recommended cooking methods specifying time, temperature, quantity for oven/deep fryer/pan on packaging and/or via other communication channels. For consumers the recommended cooking instructions shall be clearly displayed on all product packaging in compliance with Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011 of the European Parliament and of the Council() on the provision of food information to consumers.U.K.
Recommended cooking methods shall be in agreement with customer specifications and requirements for professional end users and must be validated per product type to ensure products have optimal sensory quality at the lightest acceptable colour, per cooking method specified (e.g. fryer, oven) and have levels of acrylamide below the benchmark level determined in Annex IV.
FBOs shall recommend to end users other than consumers that they should have tools available for the operators (e.g. chefs) to ensure good cooking methods and also provide calibrated equipment (e.g. timers, frying curves, colour grading charts (e.g. USDA/Munsell) and at minimum, clear pictures with targeted final prepared product colours.
2.FBOs shall recommend the end users in particular to:U.K.
keep the temperature between 160 and 175 °C when frying, and 180-220 °C when using an oven. Lower temperature can be used when the fan is switched on;
Preheat the cooking device (e.g. oven, air fryer) to correct temperature between 180 and 220 °C according to on-pack cooking instructions, depending on the products specifications and local requirements;
cook potatoes until a golden yellow colour;
do not overcook;
turn oven products after 10 minutes or halfway through the total cooking time;
follow the recommended cooking instructions, as provided by the manufacturer;
when preparing smaller quantities of potatoes than indicated on pack, reduce the cooking time, to avoid excessive browning of the product;
do not overfill the frying basket; fill your basket up to the halfway mark to avoid excessive oil uptake by extended frying times.