A method for manufacturing starting material for dried sweet potato chips comprises heating raw sweet potatoes at a temperature ranging from 70.degree. to 100.degree. C. for 180 to 8 minutes to adjust hardness of the sweet potatoes to 1,800 to 12,000 and then slicing the heated sweet potatoes to a desired thickness. The sweet potato slices are further subjected to a second heat treatment to convert starches present therein to .alpha.-starches and then dried as such or after freezing to obtain dried sweet potato chips edible as a snack food.
Potatoes are blanched, washed, treated with amylase, dehydrated, hydrated to 12% to 30%, tempered to a uniform moisture and toasted at 140.degree. C. to 220.degree. C. to about 2% moisture. The resulting product is flavored, salted and may have controlled amounts of oil, preferably between 3% and 7% by final weight, added during the process, preferably after toasting.
A nutritious, flavorful, digestible animal chew made from a dehydrated sweet potato is provided. The animal chew is non-allergenic and has a striated, deeply furrowed surface to improve the oral hygiene of an animal. The animal chew is low in calories, high in vitamins, minerals, and fiber and contains no animal-based or synthetic products.
