Industrial Approaches to Micronutrient Fortification of Traditional Nixtamal Tortillas

Nixtamalization is the process of steeping dried corn in hot water with calcium hydroxide (lime). The resulting product, called nixtamal, is further processed into tortillas, a staple in the Mexican diet. Corn tortillas are prepared directly from nixtamal, from nixtamalized corn flour, or from a mixture of the two. A technology for adding micronutrients to fresh nixtamal tortillas is discussed. Liquid and dry micronutrient premixes containing iron, zinc, folic acid, niacin, riboflavin, and thiamin were evaluated. Low-cost dosing equipment was adapted for use in small nixtamal mills and enrichment trials were conducted in commercial mills in México. The cost of liquid premix was prohibitive and ferrous lactate in the premix imparted an off-color to the tortillas. In addition, dosing separate vitamin and mineral premixes with the liquid pump proved difficult. The dry enrichment premix utilized electrolytic iron and gave sensory properties similar to unfortified samples. The dry dosification system is readily adaptable in most conventional mills, yields consistent fortification levels Industrial Approaches to Micronutrient Fortification of Traditional Nixtamal Tortillas