Evaluation of the quality of nixtamalized maize flours for tortilla production with a new Mixolab protocol

Abstract

AbstractBackground and objectivesNixtamalized maize flours (NMF) are convenient products to obtain an array of nixtamalized products such as table tortillas and chips. In the present study, a Mixolab protocol was set up for the analysis of NMF and to predict mixing conditions in tortilla making. The validity of the procedure was tested with 10 commercial NMF. Water absorption (WA) and mixing times obtained from Mixolab analysis were used to produce doughs and tortillas. The correlations among the Mixolab parameters and quality features of NMF, doughs, and tortillas were determined.FindingsMixolab curves permitted to characterize the NMF dough development time, mixing stability, starch gelatinization, starch gel stability, and retrogradation. This analysis was efficient to discern among the quality of different samples. Tortillas produced with the WA and mixing time predicted with the Mixolab analysis using the optimized protocol had adequate moisture and textural characteristics. Good correlations among the Mixolab parameters and the tortilla moisture and texture confirmed the validity of the method.ConclusionThe optimized Mixolab test proved to be a useful tool to evaluate the quality of NMF.Significance and noveltyThe new Mixolab protocol could be used to predict relevant process parameters for tortilla production.