METHOD OF MAKING SNACK FOODS

A method of making snack foods, the method comprising the steps of: a cooking step comprising microwave cooking a plurality of snack food slices to provide cooked snack food slices having an average moisture content of from 10 to 20 wt% based on the total weight of the snack food slices, the plurality of snack food slices being disposed in a layer having a first thickness during the microwave cooking; a stacking step of disposing the cooked snack food slices as a loosely packed bed having a second thickness of from 5 to 20 mm which is greater than the first thickness; a drying step comprising applying multimode microwave energy to the bed for a period of from 30 to 180 seconds to reduce the moisture content of the dried snack food slices to an average of from 6 to 8 wt% based on the total weight of the snack food slices while maintaining the temperature of the bed to a value below 100°C which is lower than a glass transition temperature of starch in the snack food slices; and finish drying the snack food slices in a hot air dryer to reduce the moisture content of the snack food slices to an average of from 1 to 2 wt% based on the total weight of the snack food slices.