Long strips, thick slices, or chunky wedges, the cut is a signature of the French fry. So, a critical step in the processing line is homogeneous cutting.

Cutting machines use sorting tubes to arrange the individual potatoes in a precise position. The potatoes then slide into the cutter head, where a knife block system cuts them down into accurate shapes and sizes.

One of the biggest challenges in food manufacturing is controlling free metal ions that produce oxidation and reduce shelf life.

Coat the potato strips in a sodium acid pyrophosphate (SAPP) solution to bind the ions and avoid discoloration and rancidity. The coating is performed in a dipping station where the potatoes are sprayed using a volumetric dosing system.

Potato chips go through two rounds of frying: a partial fry and a finish. The first treatment reduces retained moisture and cooks the interior. The finish fry cycle is shorter and cooks the surface of the individual strips.

After the two cycles are completed, most of the oil content accumulates in a thin crust of about 1 mm, forming the crunchy exterior and soft interior.