Process and apparatus for preparing fat free snack chips

A method and apparatus for preparing essentially fat free chips such as potato chips and the like having an appearance and taste similar to conventional chips without the use of deep fat frying processes. The method of the present invention includes the steps of exposing sliced raw potatoes and the like to a high intensity microwave field that rapidly converts moisture within the slice into steam. These exposed slices are then dried by longer exposure to a lower energy microwave field. The apparatus of the present invention includes a meander waveguide with a microwave absorptive terminator at an end of the waveguide. Apertures are provided along portions of the waveguide for transporting the potato slices and the like through the waveguide. A belt link type conveyor belt having an open lattice structure is employed to convey raw product slices through the meander waveguide. Generally each conveyor belt link has a product slice supporting surface configured to define a hump so as to impart a potato chip-like shape to the raw product slices during the high intensity microwave exposure step. The crisp chip type food product produced by this method and apparatus has not had any fat added to the chip and is therefore low in calories though having the conventional texture and taste associated with deep fat fried chip foods.