Applying a water-efficient nixtamalisation commercial process to obtain sustainable instant <i>masa</i> flours

Abstract This study examines the impact of reducing water consumption in the industrial nixtamalisation process to produce instant masa flours. The study compares the physicochemical, rheological, and textural properties of flours, as well as their doughs and tortillas produced using a conventional process and a sustainable process with 50% less washing water. The results reveal significant differences between the two processes. In terms of viscosity, sustainable flours showed a lower viscosity than conventional ones. Mixolab analysis showed the doughs obtained from the conventional process showed a weaker gel structure. In tortillas prepared from sustainable flours, tensile strength and rollability tended to be higher than those made from conventional flours (p = .019). The colour was also affected by the process, since products originated from the conventional process tended to be less yellow, although the difference in colour could be imperceptible for the human eye. Regarding chemical composition, flours made from the sustainable process had more fat (p = .012), ash (p = .041), and fibre (p ≤ .001), as well as higher levels of resistant starch (p ≤ .001), although other starch fractions showed lower values than conventional products (p ≤ .036). Principal component analysis indicated that small changes in nixtamalisation, such as the number of washes, can modify the properties of flours and tortillas. The results indicate that reducing water in the nixtamalisation process, despite altering some properties, is a viable approach for producing instant masa flours in a sustainable way.