Evaluation of the nixtamal-tortilla-making quality of mixtures of corn (Zea mays) and hard beans (Phaseolus vulgaris)

In Mexico, some varieties of beans become hard during storage, and required a longer time for cooking. Beans which need more than four hours to cook are deemed unsuitable for human consumption by the government agency CONASUPO even though their nutritional value is unaltered. The objective of this s...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inArchivos latinoamericanos de nutrición Vol. 47; no. 4; p. 377
Main Authors García-Osorio, C, Vázquez Carrillo, M G
Format Journal Article
LanguageSpanish
Published Venezuela 01.12.1997
Subjects
Dietary Proteins - analysis
Edible Grain - chemistry
Food Inspection
Food Microbiology
Food Preservation
Quality Control
Time Factors
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Summary:In Mexico, some varieties of beans become hard during storage, and required a longer time for cooking. Beans which need more than four hours to cook are deemed unsuitable for human consumption by the government agency CONASUPO even though their nutritional value is unaltered. The objective of this study was to evaluate the nixtamal-tortilla-making quality of mixtures of maize and hard beans, protein, sensory evaluation, and shelf life of the tortillas. The tortillas were made from mixtures of maize with 5% and 10% hard beans without the seed coat and compared with tortillas made with 100% maize. The mixtures and the control were nixtamalized for 20, 30 and 40 minutes with 1% lime (CaO). The maximum viscosity of the mass were statistically equal to that of the control. The mixture with 10% beans, 90% maize, and 30 min of nixtamalization produced tortillas with 26.3% more protein than the control. The texture evaluated in the Instron showed that the tortillas with 10% beans were harder than the control; however, in the sensory evaluation, the recently-made tortillas with 30 min nixtamalization were judged the best, with no significant differences between the control and the mixtures of maize with hard beans. The analysis of fungi, yeasts, and bacteria at room temperature and with refrigeration (4 degrees C), showed that the growth of microorganisms was directly proportional to the percentage of beans added and the duration of storage. The largest number of microorganisms was found at room temperature after 48 h of storage.
ISSN:0004-0622