OPTIMIZING THE BEST CONCENTRATION OF ADDITIVE FLAVORS TO CORN CHIPS BY EVALUATING THE PHYSICOCHEMICAL AND SENSORY PROPERTIES

Abstract

The effectiveness of adding different concentrations (2, 4 and 6% from weight corn used) of flavors on the physiochemical and sensory properties of corn chips was evaluated. Results showed that corn chips contain low moisture contents (less than 2%). Color measurements and just about right (JAR) attributes of color indicated that flavor additions decreased the lightness and yellowness, whereas the redness increased. Consumer and descriptive results showed that the flavor additions enhanced the consumer acceptance and increased the total quality of corn chips as compared with the control. Consumer results showed that hedonic scale attributes of overall impression, flavor, aroma and color and JAR attributes of flavor and color significantly increased by adding flavors. Also, consumer results indicated flavor additions at 4%. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS Corn and corn products are processed into a variety of snack products including tortilla and corn chips. In the last decades, tortilla and chips accounted for five of the top 10 products of the salty snack category. In some Mediterranean countries also, corn chips are considered one of the snack products that are consumed a lot especially by children. Flavor compounds are key elements for consumer acceptance and product identification in most products such as corn chips. In corn chip factories in Jordan, the percentages of flavor additions are in the range of 2–6% from the weight of the products. Therefore, there was a need to optimize the added flavors to corn chips; especially because most of these flavors are synthetic flavors that are considered a health concern. Also, using higher concentration from the added flavors increases the price of corn chips; furthermore, there is a lack of literature on corn chips.