Magnetic resonance measurements of French fries to determine spatially resolved oil and water content

Deep-fat frying is a popular cooking method, particularly for potato based snack products. While fats and oils are known to add unique flavour, texture and overall palatability to foods, the absorption and distribution of oil is not well established. This work examines the absorption of oil in fried potato products with a range of nuclear magnetic resonance and magnetic resonance imaging techniques. We investigate the oil and water contents in French fries based upon the distribution of relaxation times. Relaxation times from different oil and water environments overlap precluding a simple analysis. We develop several techniques for isolating the oil signal from the water signal, and present images mapping the oil absorption as a function of the degree of cooking. Lastly, we present an image derived T-2 map. Spatially resolving the relaxation times permits quantification of the oil and water contributions in the crust and in the core. (C) 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.