[Evaluation of a methodology to determine texture characteristics of maize (Zea mays L.) tortilla]

Maize (Zea mays L.) tortilla is the primary staple food of the Mexican people, with annual consumption estimated at 12 millions tons. Despite this huge volume of consumption, tortillas are commercially produced with inconsistent quality, mainly in terms of texture characteristics. Different methods to evaluate the texture of maize tortillas have been reported, but the values obtained and their parameters have not yielded reliable results, largely because the methods used do not reflect homogeneous elements for comparison. In addition, evaluation of the reliability of methods for comparing tortilla texture as well as the equipment used has been difficult, as such information perhaps remains largely unpublished. In this study, the reliability of two tortilla sample shapes (rectangle and briquet) and some of the quality parameters (maximum force, total area under curve, area to reach maximum force, elasticity and elongation) from tensile and cut force tested with a texture meter were evaluated. According to the results, the briquet shape of the tortilla samples was better (than the rectangle shape) for determining tensile and elasticity. In regard to cutting force, both the rectangle and the briquet shape presented good repeatability. For tensile and cutting-force curves, the maximum force was the parameter with the highest reliability, 0.95 and 0.99, respectively. The elasticity showed an adequate reliability with the tortilla briquet shape (0.94). The evaluated parameters with the texture meter and the sample shape type briquet, showed a high reliability degree what makes possible the comparison of maize tortilla texture data.