A process for the application of a predetermined amount of oil to food pieces comprises: (a) providing or receiving a plurality of cut or shaped food pieces; (b) applying an oil-water emulsion to the food pieces for a time sufficient to provide a predetermined amount of oil to the food pieces and so that the food pieces have an initial moisture level after applying the oil-water emulsion; and (c) reducing the initial moisture level, in the absence of frying in oil, to a moisture level of from about 0.2 to about 80% by weight to provide a cooked food product, comprising said predetermined amount of oil, wherein step (c) does not comprises frying the food pieces in hot oil.

A cooking appliance and method for cooking potato chips are provided. The appliance has a humidity control system, an air flow generation system and a heating system. The cooking process has a relatively low temperature and high humidity cooking cycle, a low humidity dehydration process and a relatively high temperature low humidity browning process. These three cycles enable good crisp crust formation for fresh non-frozen chips which are cooked using an air/steam based cooking process rather than a deep fat frying process.

A cooking appliance and method for cooking potato chips are provided. The appliance has a humidity control system, an air flow generation system and a heating system. The cooking process has a relatively low temperature and high humidity cooking cycle, a low humidity dehydration process and a relatively high temperature low humidity browning process. These three cycles enable good crisp crust formation for fresh non-frozen chips which are cooked using an air/steam based cooking process rather than a deep fat frying process.

A process for preparing a food product comprises providing or receiving a plurality of food pieces of a food material having an initial moisture content, optionally enzyme treating the food pieces with an effective amount of at least one starch-degrading enzyme to provide enzyme-treated food pieces, optionally blanching the enzyme-treated food pieces to deactivate the starch-degrading enzyme to provide blanched food pieces, and reducing moisture of the food pieces, the enzyme-treated food pieces, or the blanched food pieces via air drying from the initial moisture content to reduced overall moisture content that is lower than the initial moisture content, to provide moisture-reduced food pieces.

A process for preparing a food product comprises providing or receiving a plurality of food pieces of a food material having an initial moisture content, optionally enzyme treating the food pieces with an effective amount of at least one starch-degrading enzyme to provide enzyme-treated food pieces, optionally blanching the enzyme-treated food pieces to deactivate the starch-degrading enzyme to provide blanched food pieces, and reducing moisture of the food pieces, the enzyme-treated food pieces, or the blanched food pieces via air drying from the initial moisture content to reduced overall moisture content that is lower than the initial moisture content, to provide moisture-reduced food pieces.

A process for the application of a predetermined amount of oil to food pieces comprises: (a) providing or receiving a plurality of cut or shaped food pieces; (b) applying an oil-water emulsion to the food pieces for a time sufficient to provide a predetermined amount of oil to the food pieces and so that the food pieces have an initial moisture level after applying the oil-water emulsion; and (c) reducing the initial moisture level, in the absence of frying in oil, to a moisture level of from about 0.2 to about 80% by weight to provide a cooked food product, comprising said predetermined amount of oil, wherein step (c) does not comprises frying the food pieces in hot oil.

A process for the application of a predetermined amount of oil to food pieces comprises: (a) providing or receiving a plurality of cut or shaped food pieces; (b) applying an oil-water emulsion to the food pieces for a time sufficient to provide a predetermined amount of oil to the food pieces and so that the food pieces have an initial moisture level after applying the oil-water emulsion; and (c) reducing the initial moisture level, in the absence of frying in oil, to a moisture level of from about 0.2 to about 80% by weight to provide a cooked food product, comprising said predetermined amount of oil, wherein step (c) does not comprises frying the food pieces in hot oil.

A process for preparing a food product comprises providing or receiving food pieces of a food material comprising starch, wherein the food pieces have a first moisture content, par cooking the food pieces by flowing heated air over or past the food pieces to provide food pieces having a second moisture content that is lower than the first moisture content and wherein all or substantially all of the starch within the food material is heated to a first temperature at which the starch is at least partially gelatinized, wherein the par cooking of the food pieces does not include par frying the food pieces in oil or fat, and cooling the partially dried and cooked food pieces to storage temperature that is lower than the first temperature.

A process for preparing a food product comprises providing or receiving food pieces of a food material comprising starch, wherein the food pieces have a first moisture content, par cooking the food pieces by flowing heated air over or past the food pieces to provide food pieces having a second moisture content that is lower than the first moisture content and wherein all or substantially all of the starch within the food material is heated to a first temperature at which the starch is at least partially gelatinized, wherein the par cooking of the food pieces does not include par frying the food pieces in oil or fat, and cooling the partially dried and cooked food pieces to storage temperature that is lower than the first temperature.