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Tortilla Tips: What is a good pH for Tortillas?

July 4, 2012 by Daniel Brooker

The pH of tortillas not only affects their shelf life, but also affects their quality.  The best pH for flour tortillas is from 5.2 to 6.2.  Tortillas outside of this range will either spoil very quickly (above 6.2) or have an acidic taste (below 5.2).  Flour tortillas with a higher pH will tend to have better flavor, aroma and appearance.  As the pH is reduced to increase activity of preservatives and extend the shelf life of flour tortillas, these attributes are lost. It is important to monitor tortilla pH to achieve the code date and to have a product people want to eat. The optimum pH for flour tortillas is around 5.8 with an acceptable range of pH 5.6 – 6.0 to achieve most shelf life requirements and have a good quality tortilla.

The best pH for corn tortillas depends upon the tortilla type.  Table corn tortillas generally have high moisture content and require the lowest pH, that is, between 4.8 and 5.2.  Low-moisture corn tortillas used in frying applications should have a pH from 5.2 to 5.5, if used over several weeks after production.  High-lime corn tortillas should have a pH between 10 to 10.5.

The tortilla pH can fluctuate up or down about 0.1 units without too much concern.  When the tortilla pH fluctuates 0.2 units up or down, you should be concerned and start trouble shooting the problem.  Changes in pH are usually caused by the ingredients (including water).

By: Daniel J. Brooker
Copyright 2010

Filed Under: Articles

Tortilla Tips: Water Hardness and pH

June 2, 2012 by Daniel Brooker

Some Tortilla Factories treat their water with a water softener to get more consistent and superior quality tortillas in areas where water hardness and high pH are problems.  Monitoring water quality, especially if you are treating the water, should be part of the QC program.  Water hardness can be easily measured with conductivity or total dissolved solids (TDS) meters.  The pH of water is also fairly simple to measure with a pH meter.  These measurements should be recorded regularly in the laboratory notebook.  This record will give you guidance as to whether water pH or hardness is negatively affecting your tortilla quality.  Generally accepted guidelines for water hardness are in the following table.
Table 3: Classification of Water Hardness [1]
Hardness
Classification
0 – 15 ppm*
Very Soft
15 – 50 ppm*
Soft Water
50 – 100 ppm*
Medium Hard Water
100 – 200 ppm*
Hard Water
> 200 ppm*
Very Hard Water
*ppm equals parts per million,  which for water hardness is milligrams of calcium carbonate equivalents per kilogram of water.
[1] Pyler, E.J., Baking Science Technology. 3rd. ed. Vol. 1. 1988, Kansas City: Sosland Publishing.
By: Daniel J. Brooker

(C) 2011

Filed Under: Articles, Tortilla News

Tortilla Tips: Dough Temperature is Critical

May 4, 2012 by Daniel Brooker

Water amount and temperature are critical for both corn and flour tortilla processing. Dough (masa) water content and temperature affect the rate of hydration, mixing time, functionality of gums, starch, leavening acids, proteins, and the rheology (texture) of the mixture. Dough temperatures for flour tortillas vary widely (70 – 110ºF) but are commonly held to 88 – 95ºF for press lines and lower temperatures (70 – 90ºF) for hand-stretch and die-cut operations. Increasing dough temperatures can reduce mixing time roughly 4 minutes per 10 degrees Celsius increase in temperature. Increasing dough temperature also reduces leavening effectiveness and care must be taken not to overheat the dough. Dough temperatures for recently ground nixtamal may range from 100-130ºF, while those prepared from nixtamalized corn flour (or dry masa flour) range from 70-110ºF. Dough temperature can be controlled by varying the water temperature, length of mixing, tightness of the mill stones, and/or the speed of the mixer. Charts are available for most mixers to calculate the final dough temperature. Generally a pocket thermometer and an experienced operator generate dough with consistent temperatures. Several things should be recorded at the mixer including the amount and temperature of the water, the room temperature, the dough temperature, and mixing times and speeds. All of these things affect the dough temperature. Variations in amount of water in the dough and dough temperature impact performance of the dough through the sheeter, divider, rounder, hot-press and/or oven. Consider dough temperature like a doctor thinks of a patient’s temperature. Dough temperatures 3-4ºF degrees from the “normal” temperature indicate problems. 
By: Daniel J. Brooker

(C) 2011

Filed Under: Articles, Tortilla News

Tortilla Tips: What is Acrylamide?

November 23, 2011 by RossanaRodriguez

Acrylamide is a pressing health concern globally. It is formed when foods are cooked at temperatures in excess of 120˚C, typically during baking, frying or deep frying. Acrylamide formation occurs as a result of the Maillard browning reactions – a chemical reaction between sugar and asparagine (a naturally occurring amino acid).

Figure one: formation of acrylamide

Acrylamide Formation

Acrylamide anxiety
Global concern over consumer exposure to acrylamide is continually increasing.  Since the discovery of acrylamide in 2002, authorities worldwide have conducted investigations into this substance. Last year, the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA) concluded that the margin of exposure to acrylamide indicates a health concern.  Also in 2010, the EU commission also issued a recommendation document with guidance levels for food.  A two year study conducted by the National Toxicology Program (NTP) investigated acrylamide in animals’ drinking water. Published earlier this year, it found clear evidence of carcinogenic activity in both sexes of rats and mice, based on tumors in multiple sites.


Acrylamide mitigation
The food industry has explored a number of acrylamide mitigation techniques. In 2005, the Confederation of the Food and Drink Industries of the EU (CIAA, today FDE) acrylamide toolbox was launched to provide companies with the latest updates and guidance on acrylamide mitigation. The latest version, published in September 2011, embraces the ALARA (as low as reasonable achievable) principle. Acrylamide mitigation methods available for manufacturers include process changes, ingredient replacement / addition and agronomic solutions. For example, ammonium bicarbonate, which enhances the formation of acrylamide, could be replaced with sodium bicarbonate. Such methods can, however, negatively impact end products’ quality. As a result, many food manufactures have adopted enzymatic solutions, which are reliable, effective and do not interfere with product characteristics.


Enzymes: the compromise-free solution
Enzymes are scientifically proven to mitigate the formation of acrylamide in baked goods, tortillas, snacks and cookies, without affecting taste, visual appeal or texture. PreventASe® , for example, is an asparaginase enzyme derived from the Aspergillus niger micro-organism that offers great advantages as an acrylamide mitigator. So strong is the evidence in favour of asparaginase, it was included in the revised 2007 version of the CIAA (today FDE) toolbox and has benefited from dedicated attention in the subsequent edition.

Asparaginase converts one of the precursors of acrylamide, asparagine, into aspartic acid – another naturally occurring amino acid. As a result, asparagine is no longer available for the chemical reaction that forms acrylamide when carbohydrate-containing foods, such as bread, biscuits, crackers, formed potato products and cereals are being heated. This mitigates the formation of acrylamide by as much as 90% without affecting the nutritional properties of food products, or browning and taste aspects.

The answer to acrylamide, PreventASe is approved in an extensive list of countries worldwide as a safe and effective means of acrylamide mitigation. To find out more, please contact info.food@dsm.com.

By: Rossana Rodriguez, global marketing manager baking enzymes, DSM

For more information:

DSM

Barrett DixonBell

Lauren Moir / Laura Simpson

+44 161 925 4700

+44 161 925 4701

lauren@bdb.co.uk / laura@bdb.co.uk

www.dsm-foodspecialties.com

 

Filed Under: Articles, Tortilla News

Industrial Oven Cleaning

September 2, 2011 by editor

Ovens are commonly the workhorses of an industrial setting. Whether it is used for baking food products, drying wet surfaces, or hardening coatings, the industrial oven faithfully puts in long hours and delivers finished products day and night.

But the constant progression of products through an oven takes its toll. Crumbs fall from baked products. Lubricants from the conveyor belt may build up and fall to the floor. Fumes from drying products leave residue on the walls and moving parts.

These various debris can become a fire hazard or may begin to fall into and contaminate the products. When this happens, the oven needs to be cleaned.

Some companies try to do the cleaning themselves but most hire professional cleaning firms that specialize in heavy-duty industrial cleaning.

The first step in oven cleaning is to turn the oven off so it can cool enough to permit workers inside. This cooling period may take 8 to 24 hours or even more. When scheduling a cleaning, this has to be calculated into your down time.

If the oven is longer than 30 meters (or 100 feet), fans should be placed at the ends to assist in the air flow through the oven so workers can breathe freely. A failure to do this could create a lack of oxygen for personnel inside.

A second step, if needed, is the removal of interior parts such as shelves or compartments, if this is possible. This is normally done by the factory’s maintenance workers since they are most familiar with the oven. This is only done if the parts are removable and they prevent the workers from fully accessing and cleaning the oven.

The actual cleaning process depends on the type of residue inside the oven. Water is normally not used or is used sparingly to avoid damaging the interior.

Some ovens have chain conveyor systems that use graphite lubricant. Over time graphite powder can build up beneath the conveyor and begin to contaminate products. The cleaning process involves men crawling beneath the conveyor and scooping the graphite into buckets for removal.

If residue buildup is light and flaky, it may come off rather easily with wire brushes, scrapers, and vacuums. If the contaminant is hard, a more aggressive approach, such as grinders or small air-powered chipping hammers known as “air chippers.”

For some applications, if wiping is done, lint-free rags may be necessary so no fibers remain to contaminate products.

Ovens commonly have exhausts ducts that take smoke or fumes outside and these should be considered during the cleaning process. These ducts are often coated with grease or other residue that can be a fire hazard. In extreme cases, debris may partially clog the duct and restrict vital air flow, resulting in a poor baking process or contaminated product (due to lack of air flow or fume evacuation).

Duct cleaning is commonly accomplished through the use of scrapers and air chippers. In some instances ducts can be disconnected and power washed.

Oven cleaning is a critical part of any factory maintenance program and is often done on a regular basis, such as every 6 to 12 months.

by Dan Stradford

Chief Executive Officer, Action Duct Cleaning

 (ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN CLEAN INDIA MAGAZINE)

Filed Under: Articles

Mold Inhibitors Matter

August 1, 2011 by BetsyBlades

Mold inhibitors are vital to tortilla manufacturers for maintaining the quality and safety of tortillas and providing a high quality product that meets consumer demands. Extending tortilla shelf life can be accomplished simply by implementing good manufacturing practices which could include a mold inhibitor in your process. Which type of mold inhibitor is best for your operation? Liquid or dry, corrosive or non-corrosive, what do you think?

Liquid ingredients provide better dispersion in tortillas to ensure a product that stays fresh on shelves longer. It is easy to implement into an operation because it is a simple one step process that can be completed during the liquid phase of manufacturing. In comparison, a dry ingredient requires several steps within the process to ensure each tortilla is treated consistently by the mold inhibitor.

Non-corrosive ingredients are more environmentally friendly and can be a consideration when reviewing overall manufacturing expenses. Tortilla flavor is not impacted with non-corrosive ingredients, whereas flavor can be negatively impacted with corrosive ingredients. Corrosive ingredients can burn a person’s skin, so using a non-corrosive ingredient can be a safer option when considering employee safety. There are also safety regulations to take into account regarding the amount of corrosive ingredients allowed in a plant which can impact production expenses.

When choosing a mold inhibitor ingredient, consider all aspects of your business from employee safety, safety regulations, liability costs and most importantly the quality and flavor of your tortillas.

By: Betsy Blades | Technical Marketing Manager

Kemin Food Technologies
Website: www.kemin.com

Kemin’s SHIELD® line of mold inhibitors is a liquid, concentrated, non-corrosive preservative solution for your tortilla products.

Filed Under: Articles

Increasing water absorption in tortillas

May 31, 2011 by Denny

One method of increasing yields for tortilla manufacturers, is to maximize the absorption (hydration) rate of mixed tortilla doughs. If the recipe water can be “bound up” by the flour, a higher amount of water can be added to the dough.

The most common method of binding water is through the use of additives. Typically, additives are much more expensive than flour, which means the additional water, is offset by the cost of the additives.

Another method of increasing absorption, is thru the use of “mechanical hydration”. This method uses the intense, mechanical mixing action of the high speed mixer to achieve a higher rate of absorption/hydration, without using additives. The intense mixing action exposes more surface area of the flour particles, and therefore requires additional water in the recipe. Typically, 4-8% higher absorption can be achieved with this type of mixing.

The key to adding this additional water to tortilla doughs is the ability to “bind up” the water in the dough. “Bound up” water means that this moisture does not migrate out during the shelf life period. The usual problems of sticking, cracking, spoilage, etc. are not present in tortillas with “bound up” water.

When the moisture is bound up, it can enhance the tortilla quality, NOT decrease the quality. Higher quality, with a lower ingredient cost is a winning combination.

By: Denny Vincent – President
Advanced Food Systems, Inc.
614-939-0011 x 1
advancedfoodsys.com

Filed Under: Articles

Tortilla Tips: Combat the trans fat dilemma.

May 28, 2011 by SeanNeman

Once seen only as a staple of the traditional Hispanic diet, Tortillas have fast become a fixture in the American food industry . Fresh and packaged tortillas can be found virtually anywhere, from burritos at sporting venues to the menu at your favorite fast food chain , as well as dozens of brands of packaged products throughout national supermarkets.

As tortilla manufacturing facilities begin to sprout throughout the United States ,the Tortilla industry , like the bakery industry has to conform to legislation such as the trans fat ban. Partially hydrogenated soybean oil , once a popular ingredient in flour tortillas , has to give way to trans fat free alternatives to meet the labeling of less that 0.5 grams of trans fat per serving.

Trans fatty acids are present in partially hydrogenated vegetable fats such as soy and canola . These fats are put through the hydrogenation process to give them specific properties such as an increased melting point, hardness, plasticity, texture and stability which are essential to the tortilla making process. During the hydrogenation process, however, trans fatty acids are formed. Trans fats are harmful as consumption increases the risk of coronary heart disease by raising levels of “bad” LDL cholesterol and lowering levels of “good” HDL cholesterol.

To combat the trans fat dilemma, many tortilla manufacturers have turned to palm oil shortenings. As palm oil is naturally a semi solid at room temperature, it does not require hydrogenation and therefore does not produce trans fats. Palm Shortening is also well endowed with saturated palmitic fatty acids (44%), monounsaturated oleic (39%) fatty acids and polyunsaturated linoleic acid (10%). This combination of fatty acids provides an ideal mix for stability and an increased shelf life for the tortillas as compared to traditional soy shortening. Many companies have also prefer to use a palm cake and icing , as the mono glycerides , an emulsifier, result in a softer and fresher tortilla.

By: Sean Neman
Western Pacific Oils
(213)232-5117

Western Pacific Oils is one of North America’s leading distributors who supplies a range of oil palm based products. We sell our products through food service distributors and customized orders for large end users. Amongst our wide produce range, is a specialized trans fat free tortilla shortening , which was mentioned in this article.

Filed Under: Articles

Tortilla Tips: Formulating for Low Sodium Tortillas

March 31, 2011 by drfeliciano

With so much talk about sodium intake being linked to health risks, it makes sense to decrease sodium intake.  A person who consumes less sodium has a lower risk for elevated blood pressure, coronary heart disease, stroke, congestive heart failure, and kidney disease.
Salt or sodium chloride is the main source of sodium in the diet. The recommended level of sodium consumption amounts to one teaspoon of salt per day; the average American, however, consumes 50 percent more than that. USFDA defines sodium content claims into: 1) Sodium Free/Salt Free; 2) Very low sodium; 3) Low sodium; and 4) Reduced sodium.                  
To classify as low sodium, a product should not have more than 140 mg sodium per serving. The amount of sodium in retail tortillas ranges from 280 mg to 430 mg per 55 g serving, which is the standard serving size for a tortilla. To meet the low sodium category for tortillas, the sodium content must be cut by 50-67% in standard retail tortillas.
To reduce the sodium content of tortillas, the common sources of sodium in the formulation must be identified. Definitely, the major source of sodium is salt; other ingredients, however, also significantly contribute to the total sodium content. Most of these are functional ingredients, which can be replaced at least partially with non-sodium alternatives.
In reformulating tortillas to meet low sodium requirement, processing properties, overall quality, taste, and shelf-life of the finished products should neither be adversely affected nor  significantly increase the cost. Despite all of these considerations, Allied Blending & Ingredients has developed tortilla formulas that meet the low sodium requirement and satisfy discriminating palates. 

By: Dr. Feliciano (Sonny) Bejosano
Tortilla Food Scientist
Allied Blending & Ingredients, Inc.

Filed Under: Articles, Tortilla News

Tortilla Tips: 6-S to Save You Money

March 1, 2011 by JoseAlvarado

In these tough economic times all Industries need to look for ways to reduce cost. We all know that energy, raw material, plastics and other staples of our business are increasing in cost. There are many factors that affect this such as weather, supply and demand etc.
With that in mind we need to find ways that are in our control to reduce our operating cost.
Their are many tools that can be utilized in the area of continuous improvement. Some can be very structured and others can be very simple. . Take 5- S for example, this is a program that was started in Japan many years ago. We added Safety  therefore making it 6-S. This is a system that helps improve efficiencies, promotes a safe environment, helps culture change, and gets everyone involved. 6-S stands for:
 
SORT: Organize, look at your facility and find out what you really need and tag what you don’t.  

SET IN ORDER: Orderliness, arrange what you do need in a way that is most revalent and easy for the operation.

SAFETY: Analyze the potential hazards ( Task Hazard Analysis) and improve those you can and bring attention to those you can’t. This benefits the safety of the people and product.

SWEEP, Cleanliness, Clean and make the area look good. Sometimes this could mean a paint job, improve lighting etc.

STANDARDIZE, Labeling areas, visual work instructions, notices, etc. Finally,

SUSTAIN, this is the hardest of all. This is the discipline and the expectation you drive to maintain this culture “EVERYDAY”. 

You may ask how does this lower my operating cost? Well, as you are implementing this program you are going to find ways of improving the operation and eliminating tasks and procedures that do not bring value to the process. Ex: By finding the proper home for items used in the operation ( things as simple as a trash can, broom, canister for the counter-stacker) could save your personal thousands of unnecessary steps they take everyday and reduce non-valued time lost. The key to the success of this program is getting everyone involved. Have the people that work in those areas be part of and play a major role in the decision making, after all who knows it better than them. This will also promote “buy-in” and “pride” in their workplace. Another recommendation is plant walks 4 to 6 times a day. Sometimes we find ourselves stuck in the office on the phone or computer for countless hours. Find the time to break away and do your Plant walks, stay in touch with the process. 

By:

Jose Alvarado
www.tortillaconsulting.com

Filed Under: Articles, Tortilla News

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