VARYING THE LEVEL OF CHILI CONCENTRATION FOR QUALITY IMPROVEMENT OF VACUUM-FRIED TAHONG (PERNA VIRIDIS L.) CHIPS.

The study was carried out to develop a spicy-flavored vacuum-fried tahong chips using different levels of chili. Specifically, the study developed process flow for vacuum-fried tahong chips, determined the effects of chili on the sensory properties of the product an determined the production cost of the product. Findings showed that increasing the level of chili used in processing the product by 1% can significantly affect the taste and general acceptability of the product but not the color, crispness, flavor and texture of the product. The use of 4% chili obtains higher product acceptability compared to using only 3%. About Php51.00 is required to produce 50 grams of spicy-flavored vacuum fried tahong chips. Other variables such as level of sugar and vacuum frying time should be looked into for future studies.