Dear Colleagues,
2023 marks the 50th anniversary of the first symposia on frying since the initial program of 1973. This 2023 program will be the 11th International Symposium on Deep-fat Frying and will be held in Hamburg. This series of symposia on deep-frying, sponsored by the German Society for Fat Science, have established a platform in which scientific exchange on latest science and technology has been taking place between food producers, restaurant operators, research scientists, official and commercial laboratories, regulators, marketing and consumers.
Deep-frying is one of the most popular and efficient ways of preparing food because it is quick and easy to use and the products have been accepted around the world because of the appealing taste, texture and appearance. Although the preparation process is simple, science has shown that the result of deep-frying in industry, catering and households is rather left to chance. Some have even called it an art and not a science. To optimise deep-frying in a targeted way, a deeper knowledge of the processes that take place during deep-frying is crucial.
For many years, scientists worldwide have been intensively studying the theory and practice of deep-frying. The various mechanisms of fat degradation during deep-frying has been established as one of the main causes of poor product quality and increased fat consumption during deep-frying have only become clearer in recent years. With this knowledge, it is now possible to enhance product quality, extend the operating times of the deep-frying media, thus making deep-frying a more sustainable and efficient process in food production. Understanding the frying process is also important because a significant portion of the frying medium is absorbed by the food and, therefore, is incorporated into the food itself. In addition to understanding the deep-frying process and the changes taking place in the deep-frying medium during this process, it is also important to consider the products of deep-fat frying and their potential impact on human health.
New tools have been developed that improve oil quality during processing such as new and improved equipment and more effective tools for filtration. In addition, the development of new frying media in the last few years have the potential to improve both product quality and nutritional demands of consumers. In this context, it is becoming increasingly important to consider the entire process from the perspective of sustainability.
Concerns on the uptake of trans-fatty acids in fried foods has become quieter in recent years thanks to both regulatory and consumer pressures, yet there are other contaminants that are still under scrutiny such as acrylamide or 3-MCPD and glycidyl esters, and others that have come into greater focus like chloroparaffins, mineral oil saturated hydrocarbon (MOSH) and mineral oil aromatic hydrocarbons (MOAH ).
Important for the assessment of the quality of frying oil or fried food is the sensory analysis. Already on one of the last symposia one recommendation was that the sensory quality of the food is the most important aspect. Therefore, it is important to become familiar with this analytical technique. One objective of the symposium is to provide the participants with general information on the sensory evaluation of frying oils and fried foods, supplemented with some practical exercises in the application of the sensory assessment.
The technical program of the 11th International Symposium on Deep frying will cover all these aspects necessary for a better insight into the frying process, the analytical and sensory methods, the evaluation regarding safety and quality of the final product and new and innovative means to improve oil and product quality. Thus, the 11th International Symposium on Deep-fat frying is intended for all persons from industrial food producers, foodservice and restaurant operations, sciences, official and commercial laboratories, marketing and consumers and suppliers who are involved into the production of fried food, research on the frying process or the assessment of used frying oils or interested in deep-fat frying in general. They can use the new knowledge for their daily practice to optimise their work with the help of the latest findings on deep-frying and frying.
The aim of the symposium is to discuss with the participants the new information on deep-fat frying to prepare them for the future challenges in this area. The 2-days symposium will give a comprehensive overview and a good basis for the understanding about the frying process and the story behind for the production of high-quality products and better foods.
We look forward to welcoming you in Hamburg, on March 27 – 29, 2023.
Christian Gertz Rick Stier Felix Aladedunye Bertrand Matthäus
Hagen, Germany Sonoma, CA/USA Plano, TX/USA Detmold, Germany