Caracterización del proceso tradicional del pelado de maíz con ceniza con miras a la inocuidad alimentaria

Abstract

In Ecuador, as in the rest of Latin America, maize production and consumption is high (82,9 Kg/person/year). Maize is susceptible of contamination with mycotoxins, however, nixtamalization and similar peeling processes have the potential of detoxify the cereal. The objective of this study is to characterize and standardize the traditional process of peeling maize using ash in Ecuador. An exploratory study was performed I Nab´on-Ecuador from August to September 2014. Interviews were carried-out among 40 community members to collect data on maize peeling process. The Ecuadorian process “traditional process of wood ash nixtamalization” is performed as follows: it uses 1,450 grams of wood ash for each 2,500 grams of maize, this two ingredients are added to boiling water (4.8 liters) and the mixture is cooked during 0.5-1 hour with constant movement. Subsequently, the removal of the pericarp is performed by manual rub, then, the maize is subjected to soaking (12 hours) and drying (48-72 hours) processes. The standardization of the process could encourage the use of this traditional technique accessible to the community, keeping the organoleptic characteristics and ensuring food safety without increasing maize price in the market.