High fiber and low-carbohydrate foods have drawn great interest in the United States. Increasing evidence has shown that foods rich in dietary fiber have potential physiological benefits. On the other hand, foods rich in fast digestible carbohydrates,when eaten in large quantities, may increase the risk of diabetes and coronary heart disease. The health benefits of high fiber and low digestible carbohydrate foods have resulted in a very high demand for these products. On the other hand, the tortillamarket was ranked as the fast growing segment in the U.S. bakery industry. Therefore, the objective of this study was to develop a high fiber flour tortilla with a low digestible carbohydrate content. Different fibers including cellulose, cottonseed fiber, bamboo fiber, and white wheat fiber were investigated. The effect of vital wheat gluten, wheat protein isolates, and the ratio of gliadin to glutenin in the supplemented wheat protein were studied. Tortilla properties including diameter, opacity, rollability, extensibility, and shelf life were evaluated using subjective methods and a texture analyzer. Results showed that fiber incorporation increased the diameter and rollability of tortillas. Powdered cellulose and cottonseed fiber were judged to be the best as these fibers provided a blander taste and a lighter color. The overall quality of the high fiber and low-carbohydrate flour tortilla produced in this study was comparable to or even better than the control.
展开▼
