OBJECTIVE ROLLABILITY METHOD FOR CORN TORTILLA TEXTURE MEASUREMENT

An objective rollability method that imitates subjective rollability s cores of corn tortilla texture was developed. Force and work required to pull an axle that caused a tortilla to roll around a dowel were mea sured. The sensitivity of the technique to detect changes in corn tort illa texture during storage was evaluated, and other factors affecting objective rollability and tortilla texture were studied. The objectiv e rollability technique was fast, simple, and sensitive to changes in the tortillas, and worked effectively on commercial samples. Data was significantly correlated to subjective rollability and flexibility sco res. Textural differences among fresh tortillas during the first 24 hr of storage, and among tortillas with different thicknesses and additi ves, were detected by the objective reliability method. Thicker tortil las required more force and work to roll than thin tortillas. The obje ctive technique is more sensitive to changes in texture than subjectiv e evaluations, which do not detect differences in tortilla variability during the first 24 hr after baking, and it can be used to evaluate t he effect of formulation and processing changes on fresh and stored to rtillas.