262 White corn tortilla color characteristics. 250 Food Industry Building, University of Nebraska Lincoln, Lincoln, NE 68583-0919.
Most Mexican consumers consider corn tortillas with a white color an important quality trait.
Because of this perception, white corn hybrids are preferred for nixtamalization. Interactions of corn constituents with lime during cooking and steeping, however, result in development of yellowness in nixtamal, masa and tortillas. Processing variables such as cook temperature, cook time, steep time and lime concentration critically influence tortilla color. A central composite RSM design with 27 experimental trials was used. It was concluded that tortilla color characteristics could be improved by optimizing nixtamalization conditions.