Research into changes the amount of reducing sugars in potatoes during storage and their effect on the color of chips

The article analyzes the achievements of Ukrainian scientists, considers a comprehensive assessment of the quality indicators of potatoes intended for the production of potato chips.Particular attention is paid to the change in the content of reducing sugars during storage of tubers and their impact on the color of the final product.The following potato varieties were selected for research: early ripening -Madison, Karlena, medium-early -Kibits, Tauras and medium-late -Opal, from which data were obtained on the change in the content of reducing sugars and the impact on the color of chips.It was found that during the period of physiological dormancy, the content of reducing sugars in potatoes is stable, but later their accumulation increases, which is associated with the processes of respiration and starch conversion.The presence of a high amount of reducing sugars (>0.4%) significantly worsens the quality of chips: it leads to darkening of the product due to the Mayer reaction and the appearance of an undesirable aftertaste.Evaluation of the color of chips using a Hunter Lab spectrocolorimeter confirmed a direct relationship between the content of reducing sugars and darkening of the product.The higher the color value of the chips, the lower the content of reducing sugars in potato tubers and vice versa.The higher the content of reducing sugars in potatoes, the lower the color value of the chips.At a chip color value of 69.10 units of the device, the content of reducing sugars in potatoes is 0,05%, and at 64.65 the content of reducing sugars in potatoes is 0.31%.The article emphasizes the importance of correctly selecting potato varieties with a high dry matter content and low reducing sugar levels for the production of high-quality chips with a golden color, pleasant texture and without foreign taste.A direct relationship between the content of reducing sugars in potato tubers and the color of chips was determined and confirmed.The study was conducted by the laboratories of LLC "Chipsy Lyuks" and of the National University of Food Technology in 2023-2024.The results obtained are important for improving potato chip production technologies, as they allow optimizing the selection of raw materials and storage conditions to achieve consistently high quality of finished products.