Cooking
Literature
- Raising the temperature of the frying medium higher than 185°C causes it to breakdown more rapidly.
- High levels of acrylamide (which has been associated with cancer) have been measured in fried foods. Frying temperatures less than 180°C help keep acrylamide to a low level.
- If the temperature is too low, a greasy product is produced.
- The Heart Foundation recommends temperatures of 175 – 180°C.
Survey (1998)
- A wide range of frying medium temperatures was recorded: 136 - 233°C
- Just before the basket of chips was put into the fryer, 57% of outlets had frying medium temperatures outside the survey reference range of 175 - 190°C
- Temperature differences of greater than 20°C between the fryer temperature setting and the temperature of the frying medium were found in 26% of outlets.
Workshop Discussion
- A digital thermometer should be used to regularly check the actual temperature of the frying medium.
- The majority of fast food outlets have older fryers. Newer fryers have better temperature control.
Standard
Cook chips at a temperature of 175 - 180°C for between 3 – 4 minutes.
Use a thermometer to check the accuracy of the frying medium temperature.
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