Pairs of potato slices were blanched, soaked in a NaCl solution or water and fried. The originally adjoining faces of the chips were
analysed for average Lab color by digital photography and image analysis.
Stepwise increases in blanching temperature (60, 65, 70, 75, 80 1C/5 min) gave rise to gradually darker chips above 65 1C, by a total of
9L units ðP ¼ 0:001Þ. Slices soaked after blanching in a 3% NaCl solution for 5 min were consistently paler by 5L units ðP ¼ 0:0054Þ
than those soaked in water only.
Change in the concentration range 0.6–9% NaCl was found using one-tailed paired t-test, subsequent to blanching at 70 1C/5 min
ðP ¼ 0:0125Þ.
r 2005 Published by Elsevier Ltd. on behalf of Swiss Society of Food Science and Technology.