In 2014, Frito-Lay held 60% of the potato chip market share in the United States, generating over $3 billion in sales (PepsiCo Annual Report, 2017). The company uses canola and corn oil to fry the potatoes. Frito-Lay operators noticed that a greater amount of canola oil is required to produce one pound of potato chips than corn oil. Our project aims to determine the cause of the difference in oil efficiency observed when using canola oil and corn oil to fry potato chips. We conducted pilot and plant scale experiments, analyzed Frito-Lay’s quality control data and evaluated the equation used to calculate oil efficiency. It was found that canola’s absorption in the potato chips is higher than corn by 3% to 5% approximately.

• This report represents the work of one or more WPI undergraduate students submitted to the faculty as evidence of completion of a degree requirement. WPI routinely publishes these reports on its website without editorial or peer review.

Creator

• Trinidad, Estefania
• Gebremeskel, Lidya Gezahgne
• Mugabo, Pacifique Mugabekazi
• Ndahiro, Nelson

Publisher

• Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Identifier

• E-project-042418-201442

Advisor

• Kmiotek, Stephen J.

Year

• 2018

Sponsor

• PepsiCo

Date created

• 2018-04-24

Resource type

• Major Qualifying Project

Major

• Chemical Engineering

Rights statement

• In Copyright