Effect of soybean bagasse addition on texture, sensory properties, and protein quality of maize tortillas

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Nixtamalized dry masa flour was supplemented with 5% or 10% dry soybean bagasse (SB) and then processed into table tortillas. Proximate chemical composition, dietary fiber content, affective sensory analyses of corn tortillas prepared from dry masa flour enriched with 5% or 10% dried SB were determined. Also, the in vitro protein digestibility and protein digestibility‐corrected amino acid score (PDCAAS) of the tortillas were evaluated. FINDINGS: Ten per cent SB addition reduced masa hardness by about 32% and chewiness 47% without affecting adhesiveness. In terms of rapid viscosity analysis, the addition of incremental levels of SB decreased peak and final viscosities 42% and 49%, respectively. The tortilla insoluble and soluble dietary fiber contents increased 50% and fourfold, respectively, while the lysine daily requirement for preschool infants improved from 45.6% to 67.0% when 10% SB was used. Enriched tortillas showed a similar overall acceptance and had improved texture over storage time at room temperature (25% less force to rupture compared with the control tortilla stored for the same time). CONCLUSIONS: The addition of 5% soybean bagasse to nixtamalized corn flour produced masa with good machinability and tortillas with better overall acceptance and textural shelf life and a product with four times more soluble dietary fiber, 10% less starch and with higher amounts of limiting amino acids lysine and tryptophan. The upgraded amino acid balance significantly improved PDCAAS from 41% to 59% in the tortilla containing 10% SB. SIGNIFICANCE AND NOVELTY: Soybean bagasse is a viable option to increased fiber and protein quality in nixtamalized corn flour tortillas, with a positive impact on texture during shelf life and consumer acceptance.