Calcium hydroxide for nixtamalization WÜRZTEUFEL 100 g

Calcium hydroxide for nixtamalization WÜRZTEUFEL 100 g

Nixtamalization of corn is a pre-Columbian process that consists of cooking the corn kernel in an alkaline solution using calcium hydroxide and is currently used to make good quality tortillas and other foods from corn, such as: E.g .: instant flour made from nixtamalized corn, tacos, snacks such as corn chips and tortilla chips. This process consists in boiling the corn kernel with enough water (1 kilogram of corn per 2-3 liters of water) with alkali, preferably Ca (OH) 2, for 30-60 minutes at a temperature lower than the boiling point. The grain is left to rest in the solution (nejayote) for between 12 and 14 hours, the resulting nixtamal is washed 2 to 4 times to remove excess lime, the obtained nixtamal is ground in a stone mill to obtain the mass.

This alkaline cooking technique is used to soften the corn kernel and allows the tortillas to have a higher nutritional quality compared to raw corn due to the chemical changes in the nutrients they contain. The nixtamalization process has been found to be selective for corn proteins because zein, a protein that is lacking in lysine and tryptophan and which is a nutritionally poor protein, decreases its solubility during cooking, while the higher nutritional value of glutelin increases its solubility and thus the availability of essential amino acids. After nixtamalization, lysine and tryptophan increase by 2.8 times and the ratio of isoleucine to leucine by 1.8 times. This indicates that the nixtamalization process increases the balance of essential amino acids and gives the proteins higher nutritional value. Changes in chemical composition are the result of the loss of certain physical structures of the grain, as well as chemical compounds caused by water, alkaline pH during cooking, cooking and soaking times, and temperatures used. During the cooking of the grain, biochemical reactions, crosslinks and molecular interactions are carried out that change both the physicochemical, structural and rheological properties of the dough as well as the structural and textural properties of the tortilla produced. These changes are mainly due to changes that occur in the structure of starch.

Calcium plays an important role in the nixtamalization of the maize kernel. The lime treatment makes it easier to remove the pericarp while cooking and standing, controls microbial activity, improves the taste, aroma, color, shelf life and nutritional value of tortillas. The amount of calcium that is built into the grain during the nixtamalization process in both the pericarp, endosperm and germ is very important because the interaction between calcium hydroxide and the various components of the grain affects the physicochemical and sensory properties of the products made from corn definitely dough. Studies have been conducted focusing on the absorption of calcium after the corn was subjected to the nixtamalization process. The authors stated that calcium is incorporated into the corn kernel during nixtamalization, binds to starch and increases approximately three times the amount of calcium bound to starch in relation to calcium, determined in samples without nixtamalization.

The pure calcium hydroxide is a calcium-containing mineral, which occurs in nature in the same form. The calcium hydroxide is considered to be absolutely harmless and is approved for most foods in any required quantity. The mineral is often used, among other things, for the calcium fortification of a wide variety of foods. It is a strongly basic substance which, among other things, can be used for a variety of chemical processes.