Fuente: WIPO "tomato" A process for preparing a food product comprises providing or receiving food pieces of a food material comprising starch, wherein the food pieces have a first moisture content, par cooking the food pieces by flowing heated air over or past the food pieces to provide food pieces having a second moisture content that is lower than the first moisture content and wherein all or substantially all of the starch within the food material is heated to a first temperature at which the starch is at least partially gelatinized, wherein the par cooking of the food pieces does not include par frying the food pieces in oil or fat, and cooling the partially dried and cooked food pieces to storage temperature that is lower than the first temperature.