文章报导指出，University of Illinois 的研究团队提出一种将传统油炸与微波加热结合的新流程，以维持洋薯条的酥脆口感并降低每口可能摄入的油脂。研究成果分别刊载于 The Journal of Food Science 与 Current Research in Food Science，并可追溯至 2026 年 4 月 3 日的报导。核心目标是回应消费者在健康与口感之间的取舍冲突：在不牺牲香脆感的前提下降低油脂摄取。本文未提供可直接量化的脂肪下降百分比、卡路里降低值或受试样本量，因此可确认的是「减油机制」而非明确减量数据。

为何油会吸入薯条是论文的关键机制。Pawan Singh Takhar 指出，早期阶段马铃薯孔隙先被水分占据，油脂难以快速渗透；随著烹调进行，水分蒸发形成空隙，并伴随负压效应使油被吸入。若长时间处于此负压窗口，整体将提升油摄取趋势，因此研究将重点放在缩短负压吸油阶段、延长正压或抑制吸油的阶段上。

实验部分，研究团队设计专用微波油炸装置，并同时监测温度、压力、体积、质地、含水量与含油量。单独微波虽可抑制油吸收，但会让薯条偏软；单独油炸则维持较高脆度但油吸收较高。研究者据此提出双段并用策略：传统加热负责形成酥脆，微波加热负责调整压力与降低油消耗。最终趋势是以时间与压力曲线协同优化，而非单一工艺取代另一工艺。

Researchers at the University of Illinois reported a French-fry method that combines traditional frying and microwaving to preserve crunch while lowering oil intake. The findings were published in The Journal of Food Science and Current Research in Food Science, with the reported item dated Apr 3, 2026. The goal is to address the tradeoff where consumers want healthier food but still prefer fried flavor and texture. The context does not provide direct numeric metrics such as fat-reduction percentage, calorie changes, or sample size, so the key contribution is a documented mechanism for lowering oil uptake rather than a fixed quantified loss.

The mechanism identified is pressure-driven. Pawan Singh Takhar explains that in the early frying stage, potato pores are filled with water, so oil cannot easily enter. As heating continues, water evaporates and creates voids, while pressure conditions shift toward negative values that pull oil inward. If this negative-pressure period is long, oil uptake is more likely, so the researchers focus on shortening that window and extending conditions that suppress absorption.

In experiments, the team used a specially designed microwave fryer and tracked temperature, pressure, volume, texture, moisture, and oil content. Microwave alone improved oil reduction but produced a mushy texture, while conventional frying alone maintained crispness with higher oil ingress. The proposed solution is therefore a combined profile: conventional frying for crispness and microwaving for reduced oil transfer. The trend is a control strategy based on timing and pressure manipulation, not replacement of one method by the other.