Sustainable food frying enhanced by AI: A comprehensive review

Frying is an important food processing method, and fried foods also play an important role in daily diets because of their unique color, flavor and texture. However, as food frying occurs under continuous high-temperature conditions, it is inevitable that certain harmful substances will be generated. Moreover, the repeated use of frying oil further aggravates this situation. Meanwhile, the high oil content of fried foods is also a concern for consumers. The combination of artificial intelligence (AI) and traditional analytical techniques offers innovative solutions for effectively controlling the problems mentioned above. This article reviews key research achievements by various researchers over the past decade. The application of AI in the process optimization, process control, and quality assurance of fried foods is highlighted. In particular, machine learning, artificial neural networks, and computer vision system play significant roles in monitoring the deterioration of frying oil and predicting the formation of harmful substances. In the field of food frying, the introduction of AI brings both advantages and challenges. AI, with its powerful self-learning ability, demonstrates advantages such as high efficiency, accuracy, multi-objective optimization, and strong sustainability. Meanwhile, AI is in a stage of rapid development. In the application of food frying, it also faces challenges such as data dilemma, high investment pressure, and regulatory predicament, and there remains considerable potential for enhancement. Looking ahead, with the continuous advancement of AI technologies and the integration of supporting technologies such as the Internet of Things and blockchain, personalized customization, intelligent production, full-chain supervision and traceability of fried foods can be achieved. With the support of AI technologies, the food frying industry will develop towards intelligence and sustainability.