Fried potato products, mainly French fries and potato crisps, are
consumed across all age groups and socio-economic status. These products are
sources of energy and provide between-the-meal snacks for many consumers all
over the world, Kenya included. There exist different food preparation set-ups
that process these products under different conditions while using a variety of
additives. A number of safety issues have, however, risen in the past that can
be linked to glycoalkaloids in raw potatoes used during processing. Quality and
content of oil used for frying are increasingly being blamed for obesity and
heart diseases in the changing lifestyles currently witnessed in Kenya.
Presence of acrylamide, excessive use of flavor enhancers, colorants and food
additives in general have been suggested as possible contributors to increasing
cases of cancer and cardiovascular diseases. Increased consumption of these
products can as well lead to higher exposure of the population to possible
carcinogens such as acrylamide and packaging migrants. This review analyzes the
potential hazards in French fries and potato crisps processing chains taking
into account the Kenyan context. The possible impact of these hazards to the
general consumer is also discussed and potential areas of research and
evaluation are indicated.
Cite this paper
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