The document discusses gluten-free tortilla formulation and processing. It provides information on challenges in gluten-free baking and tortilla production compared to wheat-based products. These include achieving the proper dough consistency, rounding and dividing the dough, withstanding hot-press conditions, and maintaining shape. The document also evaluates several commercial gluten-free tortillas and offers to assist with developing a gluten-free tortilla formula tailored to specific requirements. The proposed formula uses a base and blend system and aims to provide at least 30 days shelf life at room temperature.

1. Formulating for
Gluten-Free Tortillas
Feliciano (Sonny) Bejosano, Ph.D.
John E. Fannon, Ph.D.
Allied Blending & Ingredients

2. Food Allergies
Each year, millions of Americans have allergic reactions to food.
Although most food allergies cause relatively mild and minor
symptoms, some food allergies can cause severe reactions, and may
even be life-threatening.
Strict avoidance of food allergens - and early recognition and
management of allergic reactions to food - are important measures
to prevent serious health consequences.
A food allergy is an adverse immune response to a food protein.
They are distinct from other adverse responses to food, such as food
intolerance, pharmacological reactions, and toxin-mediated
reactions.

3. Food Allergies
Protein is the food component that usually causes allergies. This
happens when our immune system mistakenly identifies a protein as
harmful.
Some proteins or fragments of proteins are resistant to digestion
and those that are not broken down in the digestive process are
tagged by the Immunoglobulin E (IgE). These tags fool the immune
system into thinking that the protein is harmful.
The immune system, thinking that the individual is under attack,
triggers an allergic reaction. These reactions can range from mild to
severe. Allergic responses include dermatitis, gastrointestinal and
respiratory distress.

4. Major Food Allergens
While more than 160 foods can cause allergic reactions, the law identifies
the eight most common allergenic foods. These foods account for 90
percent of food allergic reactions, and are the food sources from which
many other ingredients are derived.
The eight foods identified by the law are:
Milk
Eggs
Fish (e.g., bass, flounder, cod)
Crustacean shellfish (e.g. crab, lobster, shrimp)
Tree nuts (e.g., almonds, walnuts, pecans)
Peanuts
Wheat
Soybeans

5. FDA's Role: Labeling
To help Americans avoid the health risks posed by food allergens,
Congress passed the Food Allergen Labeling and consumer
Protection Act of 2004 (FALCPA). The law applies to all foods whose
labeling is regulated by FDA.
Before FALCPA, the labels of foods made from two or more
ingredients were required to list all ingredients by their common or
usual names. The names of some ingredients, however, do not clearly
identify their food source.
Now, the law requires that labels must clearly identify the food
source names of all ingredients that are - or contain any protein
derived from - the eight most common food allergens, which
FALCPA defines as “major food allergens.”
As a result, food labels help allergic consumers to identify
offending foods or ingredients so they can more easily avoid them.

6. Celiac Disease
Celiac Disease (CD) is a lifelong inherited autoimmune condition
affecting children and adults. When people with CD eat foods that contain
gluten, it creates an immune-mediated toxic reaction that causes damage to
the small intestine and does not allow food to be properly absorbed. Even
small amounts of gluten in foods can affect those with CD and cause health
problems. Damage can occur to the small bowel even when there are no
symptoms present.
Gluten is the common name for the proteins in specific grains that are
harmful to persons with celiac disease. These proteins are found in all
forms of wheat (including durum, semolina, spelt, kamut, einkorn and
faro) and related grains rye, barley and triticale.

7. Celiac Disease
Celiac Disease (CD) is unique in that a specific food component, gluten,
has been identified as the trigger. When individuals with CD eat gluten,
the villi (tiny hair-like projections in the small intestine that absorb
nutrients from food) are damaged. This is due to an autoimmune reaction
to gluten.
Damaged villi do not effectively absorb basic nutrients – proteins,
carbohydrates, fats, vitamins, minerals and, in some cases, water and bile
salts. If CD is left untreated, damage to the small bowel can be chronic and
life threatening, causing an increased risk of associated disorders – both
nutritional and immune related.

8. Celiac Disease
Dermatitis Herpetiformis (DH) is the skin
manifestation of celiac disease characterized by
blistering, intensely itchy skin. DH patients can have
intestinal damage without obvious gastrointestinal symptoms.
Associated Autoimmune Disorders
Insulin-dependent Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus, Liver diseases, Thyroid
Disease-Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis, Lupus (SLE), Addison’s Disease,
Chronic Active Hepatitis, Rheumatoid Arthritis, Turner Syndrome,
Sjögren’s Syndrome, Raynaud’s Syndrome, Alopecia Areata and
Scleroderma
Other Disorders Linked to Celiac Disease
Down Syndrome, Fibromyalgia, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome,
Williams Syndrome

9. Prevalence of Celiac Disease
Celiac disease is the most common genetic disease in Europe.
• In Italy about 1 in 250 people have it
• In Ireland about 1 in 300 people have celiac disease
•A University of Maryland study of over 13,000 subjects
demonstrated the prevalence at 1 in every 133 Americans have
celiac disease.
Celiac disease is most common in Caucasians, but has been diagnosed
in Asians from India and Pakistan.
It is rarely diagnosed in Japanese, Chinese or Africans.
Because of the genetic component of the disease, it is found in 5 to 15
percent of siblings and offspring of celiacs.
There is a 70 percent concordance (presence of a given trait in both
members of a pair of twins) among identical twins.

10. Gluten-Free Diet
A gluten-free diet is a diet that excludes foods containing gluten.
Additionally, a gluten-free diet may exclude oats.
Adapting to the gluten-free diet requires some lifestyle changes. It is
essential to read labels and to learn how to identify ingredients that may
contain hidden gluten. Even small amounts of ingested gluten can affect
those with CD and cause health problems.
Potential harmful ingredients include:
unidentified starch
binders
fillers
excipients
extenders
malt

11. Gluten-Free Diet
In the United States, the FDA issued regulations in 2007 limiting the
use of “Gluten-Free” in food products to those with less than 20 ppm
of gluten. The current international Codex Alimentarius Standard also
allows for up to 20 ppm of gluten in “Gluten-Free” foods.
Many companies specializing in Gluten-Free products require less
than 7 ppm of gluten.
The use of highly sensitive assays is mandatory to certify Gluten-
Free food products. The European Union, World Health Organization,
and Codex Alimentarius require reliable measurement of the wheat
prolamins, gliadins rather than all-wheat proteins.

12. Gluten-Free Diet
The legal definition of the phrase “Gluten-Free” varies from country to
country. Current research suggests that for persons with CD the
maximum safe level of gluten in a finished product is probably less than
200 ppm and possibly as little as 20 ppm.
Australian standards reserve the “Gluten Free” label for foods with
less than 5 ppm of gluten, as this is the smallest amount currently
detectable.
Since ordinary wheat flour contains approximately 12% gluten, even a
tiny amount of wheat flour can cross-contaminate a gluten-free product.
Therefore, considerable care must be taken to prevent cross-
contamination in both commercial and home food preparation
Gluten swab test kits are available to verify that gluten has been
sufficiently removed from equipment and other surfaces. The test can
detect the presence of gluten levels as low as 10 ppm. It can also be
used to test raw materials and finished products.

13. Gluten-Free Market (Celiac.com)
U.S. retail sales of gluten-free products (Package Facts report)
2006 – under $ 1 billion
2010 – $ 2.3 billion
2012 – projected $ 2.6 billion
2015 – projected $ 5.5 billion
Recently, General Mills transformed its popular Rice Chex cereal
into a gluten-free product without any change to the taste.
As of November 2010, General Mills claims to offer 250 gluten-free
products, including five varieties of Chex and numerous products
under the popular Betty Crocker and Bisquick brands.

14. Gluten-Free Market

15. Gluten-Free Market

16. Gluten-Free Market

17. Flour in Tortilla Processing
Tortilla quality depends on parameters such as diameter, opacity and
shelf stability. Wheat flours are selected based on their ability to produce
tortillas that favor these quality attributes.
Flour is the major ingredient in tortilla production and contributes to the
quality and shelf-stability of tortillas.
Enriched, bleached, hard-wheat flour is generally used for tortillas.
Stronger protein quality flours are used in hand-stretch and die-cut
tortilla operations while a wider variety of flours are used in hot-press
operations.
Flours that produce extensible doughs yield large-diameter, opaque
tortillas.
The type, proportion and amount of protein in wheat flour strongly
influence dough machineability and characteristics of baked product.

18. Breads made from flours of same protein content but different protein quality

19. Gluten-Free Baking
Cookies – least dependent on gluten functionality
Batter-based products – gluten also not very critical
Bread – gluten is very important
Tortilla – gluten is very important
Several grains and starch sources are considered acceptable for a gluten-free diet. The
most frequently used are corn, potatoes, rice, and tapioca (derived from cassava). Other
grains and starch sources generally considered suitable for gluten-free diets include
amaranth, arrowroot, millet, montina, lupin, quinoa, sorghum, taro, teff, chia seed, and
yam. Various types of bean, soybean, and nut flours are sometimes used in gluten-free
products to add protein and dietary fiber.
In spite of its name, buckwheat is not related to wheat; pure buckwheat is considered
acceptable for a gluten-free diet, although many commercial buckwheat products are
actually mixtures of wheat and buckwheat flours, and thus not acceptable.
Gram flour, derived from chickpeas, is also gluten-free (this is not the same as Graham
flour made from wheat).

20. Commercial Gluten-Free Flours

21. Gluten-Free Baking
Formulating gluten-free brings some textural challenges.
Common issues in gluten-free bakery product development are reduced volume,
lack of an even cell structure, and a dry, crumbly, grainy texture.
Native flours/starches, modified cook-up and pre-gelatinized starches, and gums
are some of the ingredients used in gluten-free bakery formulations.
Moisture management, dough consistency, machinability, volume, cell structure
and textural sensory attributes are critical parameters.
Commercial gluten-free products are significantly drier, more crumbly, and have
less moist and smooth profiles than conventional products.
There are ways to make gluten-free products with a taste and texture that are
similar to gluten containing products.

22. Challenges in gluten-free tortilla processing
Dough make-up; hard to achieve same consistency and pliability as those of wheat
flour dough.
Gluten-free alternatives require more water but do not result in pliable dough;
adding more water to make it softer results in sticky dough.
Rounding and dividing is difficult if correct dough attributes are not achieved.
Tortilla dough is processed in “free-form” unlike breads which can be baked in
pans thus, it should keep its shape on its own.
Hot-pressing is a major challenge; dough should have enough strength to withstand
hot-press conditions.
Once pressed, it should also keep its shape and pass through the oven conveyor
successfully.

23. Since gluten-free “flours” absorb more water, moisture content of finished product
will be higher than wheat tortillas
Higher moisture affects shelf-life; it will require more preservatives to be stable at
room temperature storage; if this is not desired, refrigerated/frozen storage is
necessary
Lack of gluten in gluten-free “flours” results in products that feel drier and less
pliable which then increase with time due to starch retrogradation.
It is hard to achieve the spongy texture using gluten-free flours
Thus, same texture as in wheat tortilla should not be expected. Proper re-heating is
needed before consumption
There will also be flavor differences depending on the type of “flour” used

24. Evaluation of Commercial Gluten-Free Tortillas

25. Subjective texture
evaluation of
tortillas at room
temp.

26. Tortillas after re-
heating on
electric griddle
at 380 F

27. La Tortilla Factory Gluten-Free Tortilla

28. Rudi’s Bakery Gluten-Free Tortilla

29. Food For Life Gluten-Free Tortilla

30. French Meadow Bakery Gluten-Free Tortilla

31. I will assist you in formulating your gluten-free tortilla
We have a standard gluten-free tortilla formula. This will run on your hot-press
line without modifications in equipment and procedure.
It is a complete mix which comes in two parts:
•Base – contains functional ingredients
•Blend – “Flour” portion of the formula
Aside from being gluten-free it also does not contain the other seven major food
allergens.
Current formula will give at least 30 days shelf-life at room temperature on
finished product.
We can also provide “no preservatives” alternative but finished product needs to
be refrigerated/frozen. I am also testing a “natural preservatives” formula.
The “Base” can be used for other “gluten-free flours” other than our “Blend”.
I will work with you to develop the finished product that will meet your
specific requirements.