The effects of storage temperature on the staling of wheat flour tortillas

Wheat flour tortillas (31.9% moisture) were stored at -60, -12, 0, 4, 22, and 35 degreesC to evaluate textural changes during staling. Subjective rollability and two-dimensional extensibility tests revealed that tortillas stored at greater than or equal to 0 degreesC had increasing force, work and modulus of deformation values during storage. Tortillas stored at less than or equal to-12degreesC retained their fresh attributes over 25 days. Tortillas staled more as defined by rheological changes when stored at 22degreesC than at 0, 4, or 35degreesC. Optimum storage temperatures of wheat flour tortillas are less than or equal to-12degreesC while optimum staling temperatures are between 4 and 35degreesC. (C) 2003 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.