Improving Nutritional Content of Corn Tortillas
The popularity of gluten-free foods is increasing due to consumer awareness of celiac disease and potential gluten sensitivities. While corn tortillas are inherently gluten-free, they are not always considered healthy due to a lack of fiber and protein. The addition of fiber and protein can be detrimental to the texture and flavor of gluten-free tortillas, resulting in an undesirable product. GPC’s FYBRIN® RS F100 Food Starch-Modified and CP100-S Steamed Chickpea Flour offer nutritional benefits that can enhance gluten-free tortillas with minimal impact on the texture and flavor of the product.
Figure 1 illustrates the textural similarity between corn tortillas prepared with 4.68% FYBRIN® RS and a control that did not include FYBRIN® RS. FYBRIN® RS replaced a portion of corn flour with no other changes to the formula. The amount of FYBRIN® RS was chosen to provide 3 grams of fiber per 48 gram serving to meet a “good source of fiber” claim. In comparison, the corn tortillas without FYBRIN® RS only provide 1 gram of fiber per serving.
When comparing the texture of the tortillas, there were no significant differences in texture after 14 days of storage as rated by a trained sensory panel (Figure 1a) or using empirical rollability and flexibility measurements (Figure 1b). These texture results demonstrate the ease of formulating with FYBRIN® RS, as fiber can be incorporated in a product with minimal formula changes.
Fig 1 compares the texture of corn tortillas after 14 days of storage, with & without 4.68% FYBRIN® RS. Fig 1a shows a spider plot from a trained sensory panel's evaluation, while Fig 1b presents empirical ratings for rollability and flexibility.
Another option to increase the nutritional content of gluten-free corn tortillas is to add GPC’s CP100-S steamed chickpea flour with FYBRIN® RS which boosts both the protein and fiber content. Figure 2 illustrates the textural similarity between tortillas that contained CP100-S steamed chickpea flour and 10% FYBRIN® RS and a control formula that contained CP-100S but not FYBRIN® RS. Both formulas displayed similar rollability throughout a 14-day shelf-life. Additionally, adding CP100-S Steamed Chickpea Flour and FYBRIN® RS to the tortillas provided 4 grams of protein and 7 grams of fiber per 54 gram serving.
Figure 2: Comparison of rollability of corn tortillas with chickpea flour after 14 days of storage using empirical rollability methods.
GPC’s FYBRIN® RS F100 and CP100-S Steamed Chickpea Flour provide solutions to address nutritional needs for tortillas and other bakery products. These results demonstrate the ability of GPC ingredients to increase the protein and fiber content of tortillas while maintaining the original texture of the product.