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There is no evidence yet for the occurrence of N-fatty acylated fumonisin derivatives in retail fried corn foods. Here, we developed a method for their determination based on their conversion to HFB1, and carried out recovery tests. Food was extracted with hexane and chloroform, followed by cleanup with Bond Elut silica SPE, KOH hydrolysis, and OASIS HLB column cleanup. N-Fatty acyl HFB1 appears to be much effectively recovered (72–85%) compared to N-fatty acyl FB1 (52–62%). A sample of tortilla chips, among 38 samples of alkali-processed corn foods analyzed, was found to give rise to a detectable level of HFB1 (23 ng/g, equivalent to 29 or 40 ng/g HFB1 from N-fatty acyl fumonisin, when corrected for average recoveries of N-fatty acyl HFB1 and FB1, respectively), demonstrating the first finding on the occurrence of N-fatty acyl fumonisins in retail fried corn foods.

On October 12, 2015, a county health department notified the Wyoming Department of Health of an outbreak of gastrointestinal illness among residents and staff members at a local correctional facility. The majority of ill persons reported onset of symptoms within 1-3 hours after eating lunch served at the facility cafeteria at noon on October 11. Residents and staff members reported that tortilla chips served at the lunch tasted and smelled like chemicals. The Wyoming Department of Health and county health department personnel conducted case-control studies to identify the outbreak source. Consuming lunch at the facility on October 11 was highly associated with illness; multivariate logistic regression analysis found that tortilla chips were the only food item associated with illness. Hexanal and peroxide, markers for rancidity, were detected in tortilla chips and composite food samples from the lunch. No infectious agent was detected in human stool specimens or food samples. Extensive testing of lunch items did not identify any unusual chemical. Epidemiologic and laboratory evidence implicated rancid tortilla chips as the most likely source of illness. This outbreak serves as a reminder to consider alternative food testing methods during outbreaks of unusual gastrointestinal illness when typical foodborne pathogens are not identified. For interpretation of alternative food testing results, samples of each type of food not suspected to be contaminated are needed to serve as controls.

A mixture of cornmeal dough and cooked bean flour (BF) was prepared at different ratios (50/50, 60/40, and 70/30 w/w), and processed to chips. Viscosity profile, temperature of gelatinization and enthalpy, texture, protein content, and in vitro digestibility were measured. Pasting temperature tended to be lower when the flour bean concentration was lower. Maximum viscosity increased significantly in both samples (dough mixture and chips) when the BF concentration was lower. In general, gelatinization temperature remains constant, while the heating enthalpy was higher with lower BF concentration. The addition of BF was correlated with greater crispiness, suggesting improved chip texture at higher BF concentrations. The final protein content in the corn-bean chips was very similar, despite the concentration of BF used. Protein digestibility in the chips was affected by the proportion of BF added, being higher when the amount of the BF was lower.

Snacks are ready-to-eat foods commonly high in oil and flavored with salty flavorings. From the processing viewpoint, they are manufactured by a broad array of processes. The simplest category, also named first-generation snacks, is produced from popcorn, peanuts, nuts, dehydrated fruits, and related items. Most snacks fall into the second-generation snack category that includes simple formed products obtained after direct extrusion (corn chips, puffed or expanded corn products, balls, and curls) or by cutting/sheeting/forming such as regular-fabricated potato chips, tortilla chips, and pretzels. Third-generation snacks are produced from extruded pellets that are commonly fried and flavored. Regardless of the bad image among dietitians, snacks are increasing in popularity due to their flavor, their convenience, and change of food habits. The new trend is the development of nutritious and health-promoting snacks.

This article deals with different aspects of snack food production. It covers the areas of snacking patterns, types of snacks, raw material for snack foods, and different snack food-manufacturing details. This is intended to be useful for the snack food industry and for marketing professionals to understand different types of snack and trends and for consumers who wish to gain more knowledge about snacks.

The effect of addition of amaranth flour and amaranth protein isolate to both a glucose/asparagine model system and real foods (cookies, fried tortilla chips, and baked tortilla chips) was studied to analyse the acrylamide mitigating potential of this underexploited plant with attractive nutraceutical properties. Addition of amaranth flour, with a relatively low protein content (16.45%), did not mitigate acrylamide in either the model system or the studied foods. On the contrary, addition of amaranth protein isolate decreased acrylamide content by 35-40% in the model system, 89% in cookies, 51% in fried tortilla chips, and 62% in baked tortilla chips. This acrylamide reduction was obtained without change in the colour or the texture of the cookies. On the contrary, colour remained unchanged in tortilla chips, but the addition of amaranth protein isolate increased the hardness (16-36%) of the produced tortillas. Although a much more detailed sensory evaluation of cookies and tortilla chips prepared using amaranth protein isolate is needed, the above results suggest that the use of amaranth protein may be an interesting way to both mitigate acrylamide formation and improve nutritional properties of foods.

The acrylamide-mitigating effect of piquin pepper oleoresin (piquin pepper oily extract in soybean oil) in both model and food systems was evaluated. Although the addition of piquin pepper oleoresin to an asparagine/glucose model system did not produce any mitigation of the acrylamide produced, oxidation of the oleoresin for 4–8 days at 60 °C produced a significant ( p

A continuous vacuum drying method was used to develop low-fat tortilla chips with good sensory properties. To better understand the process, drying models were developed to determine the effects of drying thickness and temperature on drying rate. Drying rates were determined at three conduction plate temperatures (80, 90, and 100°C) and three product thicknesses (0.8, 1.5, and 2.3 mm). An effective diffusion model and semi-empirical models were used to fit the data. In addition, a model was developed from the drying rate curves that incorporated a drying coefficient [k(t)] that varied with time and could be described by a two-term Lorentzian model. All models had good agreement between experimental data and predicted data, with R 2 > 0.98. With consideration of other goodness-of-fit indicators (sum of squared errors [SSE] and χ2), the Page and variable coefficient models provided the best fit. The average effective moisture diffusivity was calculated using nonlinear regression and ranged from D eff = 1.19...

In the present research, stabilized rice bran (SRB) of an Egyptian variety was used for the preparation of corn flakes and tortilla chips with and without fortification with rich protein sources. SRB was used as 10, 20 and 30% replacements of gelatinized corn flour. Doughs of different blends were evaluated rheologically. Color quality, sensory parameters and proximate composition of the products were assessed. Results showed that the maximum and breakdown viscosity and color quality was affected by the presence of SRB. Some sensory parameters of tortilla chips and corn flakes containing RB showed decline. Percentage protein of 30% SRB corn flakes and tortilla chips that were not fortified with protein-rich sources was 10.57 and 11.2, while that of fat was 3.65 and 23.21; crude fibers were 0.775 and 0.631, and ash was 0.24 and 1.71, respectively. Fortified tortilla chips and corn flakes contain 11.5 and 13.7% protein, respectively. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS The present research aimed at production of functional foods containing both rice bran and corn flour so as to be marketed.

The effectiveness of substituting different concentrations (3, 6 or 9%) of broad bean flour (Bb), chickpea flour (Cp) or isolated soy protein (ISP) on the physiochemical and sensory properties of corn chips was evaluated. Fortification increased (P ≤ 0.05) protein contents from 6.4 to 10.5%. Sensory and instrumental color results indicated that fortification at high levels (9%) increased (P ≤ 0.05) chip redness. Texture profile analysis results (TPA) indicated that, as fortification ratios increased, texture measures of TPA measures decreased (P ≤ 0.05). The raw and cooked corn flavor attributes decreased (P ≤ 0.05) in chips fortified with 9% Bb and Cp, and with 6 and 9% ISP. The descriptive texture indicated that 9% Bb and Cp decreased hardness. The consumer intensity scale results showed that Bb, Cp and ISP at 9% decreased (P ≤ 0.05) crunchiness and hardness. It can be concluded that Bb, Cp or ISP can be added in corn chips. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS As the protein–energy–malnutrition problem continues to expand because of limited protein sources, using inexpensive and readily available sources of protein has become a major research focus in recent years. Fortification of several food products with components such as legume flours was proposed to enhance the nutritional values of products by using these products in schools, feeding programs and in catastrophic situations. Chickpeas and broad beans, rich in food proteins, are widely available and used in different countries as a source of protein. Soybean flour contains 38% protein, also has been used to fortify different types of food to enhance their quality. Corn and tortilla chips account for 80% of the corn-based snacks consumed worldwide. Corn-based snacks increased over the last 30 years because of being included to the main meal as well as between-meal nourishments. For that, this study evaluated fortifications in chips with different high-legume proteins.

Summary The effect of processing conventional and pigmented corn into masa, tortilla and tortilla chips on the ability to scavenge nitric oxide (NO) and peroxynitrite (ONOO−) was investigated. The level of retention of nitric oxide and peroxynitrite (mediated for inhibition of nitrite formation scavenging capacity for masa, tortilla and tortilla chips) ranged 56.2–78.2%, 67.4–45%, 40.3–62.0% (for nitric oxide) and 38.6–81.7%, 23.3–47.7%, 19.3–67.2% (for inhibition of nitrite formation), respectively. The antinitrosative activities were affected significantly (P > 0.05) by nixtamalisation, but not by processing masa into tortilla and tortilla chips (P > 0.05). The yellow variety and its corresponding products showed the greatest capacity to scavenge nitric oxide and inhibition of nitrite formation among conventional varieties and the purple variety ranked highest among the pigmented varieties.

Auction experiments were used to examine demand and premium differences between organic, non-GM (genetically modified), and conventional versions for two pairs of fresh and processed foods. Results showed processed foods had greater substitutability among the versions than fresh products. Conventional versions were the least price sensitive, while non-GM versions were the most sensitive. Significant premium differences were found between fresh and processed foods for sweet corn and tortilla chips, but not for potatoes and potato chips. Results from random effects models mirrored these findings. In general, the extent of premium differences between fresh and processed versions appears dependent on the food product. Key Words: auction experiments, willingness to pay, organic, non-GM, fresh, processed food (ProQuest: ... denotes formulae omitted.) Certified organic food has a growing presence in the marketplace. The Organic Trade Association (2006) found that in 2005, total sales of organic foods were $13.8 billion, with a growth rate of 16.2 percent. The largest component of these was fresh foods, with fruits, vegetables, and dairy accounting for 39 percent of total sales. They also noted that organic processed foods, such as packaged/ prepared foods and snack foods, have been expanding rapidly, with growth rates of 19.7 percent and 18.3 percent, respectively. The total sale of packaged/prepared foods was $1.8 billion (13 percent) and snack food was $667 million (5 percent) in 2005. This growth of the organic market has notably occurred during a time when farmer usage of agricultural biotechnology has rapidly increased. Genetically modified (GM) crops, created through biotechnology, have become prevalent in the food system. Examples of GM seeds that have been developed include corn, soybeans, and potatoes. In addition to being consumed in their fresh forms, these products are often standard ingredients in a wide variety of processed foods. It was estimated that 60-70 percent of processed foods on supermarket shelves in North America contain some GM ingredients (Heslop 2006). Although the technology is widespread, studies have shown that some consumers perceive risks from GM foods (see Burton et al. 2001, Onyango et al. 2003, Costa-Font, Gil, and Traill 2008). To avoid GM foods, consumers have limited options. Since U.S. government regulations do not include a labeling requirement for GM foods, consumers can either buy certified organic food, which includes a non-GM requirement, or purchase from the small non-GM market segment. This study was designed to examine the differences between fresh and corresponding processed food markets for both organic and non-GM food products. Specifically, the first objective was to compare the demand between the fresh and processed categories, which was investigated through the construction of demand curves and the calculation of own- and cross-price elasticities. The second objective was to determine whether premiums for either organic or non-GM foods were significantly different depending on the level of processing. This was analyzed using a random effects model based on demographic characteristics as well as subjects' opinions about organic and GM foods. To investigate these objectives, two pairs of food items were considered. Each pair consisted of a whole, fresh food and a processed food based on that main ingredient. The two pairs were potatoes and potato chips, and sweet corn and tortilla chips. It was believed that the results obtained from this study could provide insight into consumers' decisions and help policy makers and food companies improve marketing strategies for organic and non- GM food products. Literature Review Fresh products have been considered in numerous studies on organic and GM foods. Wolf et al. (2002) studied consumer attitudes toward organic and conventionally grown lettuce using a survey conducted in California. …

A comparison study of different extraction and clean-up procedures for the liquid chromatographic analysis of fumonisins B(1) (FB(1)) and B(2) (FB(2)) in corn masa flour was performed. The procedures included extraction (heat or room temperature) with acidic conditions or EDTA-containing solvents, and clean-up by immunoaffinity or C18 solid-phase extraction columns. Thereafter an analytical method was optimised using extraction with an acidic mixture of methanol-acetonitrile-citrate/phosphate buffer, clean-up through the immunoaffinity column and determination of fumonisins by liquid chromatography with automated pre-column derivatisation with o-phthaldialdehyde reagent. Recovery experiments performed on yellow, white and blue masa flours at spiking levels of 400, 800 and 1200 µg kg(-1) FB(1) and of 100, 200 and 300 µg kg(-1) FB(2) gave overall mean recoveries of 99% (±6%) for FB(1) and 88% (±6%) for FB(2). Good recoveries (higher than 90% for both FB(1) and FB(2)) were also obtained with corn tortilla chips. The limits of quantification of the method (signal-to-noise ratio of 10) were 25 µg kg(-1) for FB(1) and 17 µg kg(-1) for FB(2). The method was tested on different commercial corn masa flours as well as on white and yellow corn tortilla chips, showing fumonisin contamination levels (FB(1) + FB(2)) up to 1800 µg kg(-1) (FB(1) + FB(2)) in masa flour and 960 µg kg(-1) in tortilla chips. Over 30% of masa flours originating from Mexico exceeded the European Union maximum permitted level.

This work was carried out to investigate storage stability of tortilla chips with regard to antioxidants used during manufacturing. Tortilla chips were made from WC10 and YC/DS, fried in sun flower oil containing 0.015% of synthetic (BHT) or natural (α-tocopherol) antioxidants, packaged in M/PP and stored for three months at 28±7°C and 57±17% relative humidity. Chemical (acid value, peroxide value and TBA) and sensory attributes as well as crispiness were followed up during storage period. The obtained data revealed that both BHT and α-tocopherol can be successfully used for retarding both oxidative and hydrolytic rancidity of tortilla chips and hence prolong their shelf-life. The sensory evaluation clarified that adding antioxidants to frying oil led to improve all sensory properties of tested tortilla chips, specially, odor and taste. Antioxidants decreased the changes occurred in both oil and moisture contents and had a positive effect on the crispness of the stored tortilla chips.

Defatted soybean, chickpeas and lupine flours were added to masa in 4, 8 and 12% of the corn weight. The chemical composition and amino acids content of raw materials were detected. Tortilla chips supplemented with soybean flour was characterized with the highest amounts of protein, ash, fiber, Ca, K, P, Fe, valine, histidine, glycine, lysine and phenylalnine. The mixtures containing lupine flour showed higher value of protein, fiber, Mg, Fe, Mn and higher threonine and arginine. The lowest aspartic acid and serine contents were observed in tortilla chips supplemented with chickpeas. The sulfur containing amino acids were not affected by supplementation. With respect to sensory evaluation, the obtained results indicated that no significant differences between supplemented samples by leguminous flours and control. The fortification of tortilla chips with leguminous flours proved its priority with regard to the organoleptic and physical properties of tortilla chips.

The objectives of this study were to determine the frying stability of soybean oil (SBO) treated with a natural citric acid-based antioxidant, EPT-OILShield able to withstand high temperatures and to establish the oxidative stability of food fried in the treated oil. Soybean oil with 0.05% and 0.5% EPT-OILShield and an untreated control SBO were used for intermittent batch frying of tortilla chips at 180 degrees C for up to 65 h. Oil frying stability was measured by free fatty acids (FFA) and total polar compounds (TPC). Chips were aged for up to 4 mo at 25 degrees C and evaluated for rancid flavor by a 15-member, trained, experienced analytical sensory panel and for hexanal content as an indicator of oxidation. Oil with 0.05% EPT-OILShield had significantly less FFA and TPC than the control. The effect of EPT-OILShield was apparently retained in aged chips because hexanal levels were significantly lower in chips fried in oil with 0.05% EPT-OILShield than in chips fried in the control. Tortilla chips fried in the control were rancid after 2 mo at 25 degrees C at sampling times evaluated from 25 to 65 h; however, chips fried in oil with 0.05% EPT-OILShield and used for 65 h were described as only slightly rancid after 4 mo. Gamma tocopherol levels were significantly higher in the chips fried in the oil with 0.05% EPT-OILShield than in the control, helping to inhibit oxidation in the tortilla chips during storage.

To determine effects of expeller oil pressing and decreased linolenic acid, intermittent batch frying tests were conducted with tortilla chips using soybean oil (SBO), expeller pressed SBO (EPSBO), expeller pressed low linolenic SBO (EPLLSBO), high oleic sunflower oil, corn oil and hydrogenated SBO for up to 35 h of frying. Chips were aged at 25C and trained, experienced analytical sensory panelists evaluated their flavor. Oxidative stability of the chips was determined by hexanal analyses and oil fry life was measured by total polar compounds. The stability of tortilla chips fried in EPLLSBO was significantly better than chips fried in SBO or EPSBO as judged by rancid flavor intensity and hexanal formation after storage. This effect may be due, in part, to less linolenic acid in EPLLSBO and better tocopherol retention compared to EPSBO. The combination of expeller pressing and low linolenic acid (EPLLSBO) produced a significantly more stable fried product than expeller pressing (EPSBO) alone. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS Food manufacturers are interested in oils that can be used for frying as alternatives to trans fat-containing hydrogenated fats. Since polyunsaturated vegetable oils are not sufficiently oxidatively stable for frying, alternatives such as modified fatty acid composition oils, additives and oil processing techniques could be used individually or in combination to increase fry life of the oil and shelf life of foods. Although expeller pressing of SBO or reducing linolenic acid of SBO alone have not given SBO the stability equivalent to HSBO, we found that combining decreased linolenic acid and expeller pressing of SBO produced frying oil and fried tortilla chips with the stability similar to that of hydrogenated fat in early stages of frying.

To determine the frying stability of mid-oleic/ultra low linolenic acid soybean oil (MO/ULLSBO) and the storage stability of food fried in it, tortilla chips were fried in MO/ULLSBO, soybean oil (SBO), hydrogenated SBO (HSBO) and ultra low linolenic SBO (ULLSBO). Intermittent batch frying tests were conducted up to 55 h of frying, and then tortilla chips were aged up to 4 months at 25 °C. Frying oils were analyzed for total polar compounds to determine the frying stability of the oil. Tortilla chips were analyzed for hexanal as an indicator of oxidative deterioration and by sensory analysis using a trained, experienced analytical panel. Results showed no significant differences between the total polar compound levels for MO/ULLSBO and HSBO after 55 h of frying, indicating a similar fry life. However, total polar compound levels for ULLSBO and SBO were significantly higher than for either MO/ULLSBO or HSBO, indicating a lower oil fry life. Hexanal levels in aged tortilla chips fried in SBO were significantly higher than in chips fried in any of the other oils. Tortilla chips fried in MO/ULLSBO and HSBO had significantly lower hexanal levels than in chips fried in ULLSBO. A sensory analysis of rancid flavor intensity showed similar trends to those for hexanal formation. The chips fried in SBO had the highest rancid flavor intensity, with significantly lower hexanal levels in chips fried in HSBO and MO/ULLSBO. Based on these results, MO/ULLSBO not only had a good fry life but also produced oxidatively stable fried food, and therefore would be a healthful alternative to HSBO.