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Volume 59, Issue 4 p. 1392-1405
Review & Interpretation

Food-Grade Maize Composition, Evaluation, and Genetics for Masa-Based Products

Mark Holmes

Mark Holmes

Dep. of Agronomy and Plant Genetics, Univ. of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN, 55108

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Jonathan S. Renk

Jonathan S. Renk

Dep. of Agronomy and Plant Genetics, Univ. of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN, 55108

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Peter Coaldrake

Peter Coaldrake

Corteva Agriscience, Johnston, IA, 50131

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Sathya Kalambur

Sathya Kalambur

PepsiCo, Plano, TX, 75024

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Chuck Schmitz

Chuck Schmitz

PepsiCo, Sidney, IL, 61877

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Nickolas Anderson

Nickolas Anderson

PepsiCo, St. Paul, MN, 55108

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Gabe Gusmini

Gabe Gusmini

PepsiCo, St. Paul, MN, 55108

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George Annor

George Annor

Dep. of Food Science and Nutrition, Univ. of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN, 55108

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Candice N. Hirsch

Corresponding Author

Candice N. Hirsch

Dep. of Agronomy and Plant Genetics, Univ. of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN, 55108

Corresponding author ([email protected]).Search for more papers by this author
First published: 01 July 2019
Citations: 12

PepsiCo employees: The views expressed in this manuscript are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the position or policy of PepsiCo.

ABSTRACT

Maize (Zea mays L.) masa (dough or flour that is soaked and cooked in an alkaline solution in the nixtamlization process) based products have been consumed by humans worldwide for thousands of years. Still, there is not a comprehensive understanding of the chemical and physical properties of maize that contribute to masa quality. Starches and proteins affect the alkaline processing of maize but are seldom discussed in a holistic way to understand their individual and combined effects on masa production, particularly in the context of the entire food system from breeding to evaluation to product development and production. In this review, the food-grade maize production chain is described including current breeding efforts and grain evaluation methods. The compositions of starches and prolamin proteins are also discussed relative to their effect on masa properties. Understanding the interactions of grain endosperm components and final product quality of maize masa-based products will allow for more efficient breeding and food processing operations in the future.