Industry 5.0 in food frying: Integrating physicochemical kinetics, phytochemical barriers, and intelligent control for contaminant mitigation and quality preservation.

Deep-frying is one of the most widely used food processing techniques globally; however, excessive oil uptake and the formation of emerging contaminants present significant challenges to food safety and public health. This review integrates cutting-edge research since 2020 to decipher the multidimensional dynamic mechanisms governing frying systems. At the mechanistic level, it elucidates the intricate relationships among heat and mass transfer, microstructural evolution, and complex chemical reaction networks that collectively drive contaminant formation and lipid deterioration. Building on this foundation, recent advances in three major intervention strategies are systematically summarized. These encompass matrix engineering, phytochemical shields, and next-generation frying technologies. Importantly, this review further highlights the emerging transition toward Industry 5.0 by exploring the integration of non-destructive sensing technologies, machine learning-based predictive modeling, and robotic automation into intelligent closed-loop control systems. By bridging microscopic reaction networks with macroscopic smart manufacturing, this review establishes a pioneering framework to achieve concurrent mitigation of process-induced contaminants and premium sensory preservation, offering a critical blueprint for the sustainable transition of the global frying industry.