'Radiant oven' could make fried foods healthier
>>Print ViewPublication Date: 10/10/2008
Anderson Tool image/Kevin Judd
The radiant fryer, invented by Purdue food scientist Kevin Keener.
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Fried foods are not usually considered healthy, but a Purdue professor's invention could reduce their fat content with an inventive cooking method.
Kevin Keener, an associate professor in the department of food sciences, is working on the development of a radiant oven. The oven, also referred to as a radiant fryer, eliminates excess calories and fat by taking the place of the oil bath fried foods typically receive.
"The foods that you traditionally would find in fast food restaurants are already cooked once in a factory," said Keener. "At the restaurant, they want it already cooked and they throw it in the hot oil basically to recreate that finished product that they have at the factory."
The new technology replaces the second frying, which Keener says would cut in half the amount of oil used.
Radiant heating uses high temperatures to transmit energy in the form of heat. Unlike convection and conduction, this method allows for the necessary heat transfer and temperature increase one would find in a deep fryer. According to Keener, the oven's settings can be adjusted based on the type of food being cooked.
An initial prototype of the oven was built during Keener's time at North Carolina State University. It was developed by Keener and a colleague, Brian Farkas. The prototype was about the size of a microwave oven and proved successful; taste testers did not notice a difference from the traditional frying method.
Anderson Tool and Engineering Company has partnered with Keener to develop a commercial prototype. The company created a computer design of the oven and is working on assembling oven parts in hopes of having the oven built by the end of the year. If the prototype is successful, Keener said, he hopes a company will be interested in producing the oven for commercial use.
"Working on this project has been interesting and exciting, to say the least," said Louis Nelson, a graduate student who has been assisting Keener. "I believe this technology, and others like it, could revolutionize food processing practices as we know them."