Nixtamalization of a Yellow Maize Snack: Product Evaluation Using Different Sensory Evaluation Methods

Yellow maize is cultivated by small‐scale farmers in South Africa, solely for animal consumption, due to cultural preferences of white maize as a staple, while it holds untapped value in addressing household food insecurity if redirected for human consumption. This study is aimed at evaluating a consumer‐acceptable yellow maize snack product. Three variations of nixtamalized yellow maize corn snacks (smoked paprika, spicy masala, and sweet chili) were formulated and evaluated. Consumers evaluated the products using overall acceptability (9‐point hedonic scale), just about right (JAR), and a survey. Penalty analysis, standardized difference, and principal component analysis (PCA) were calculated from the collected data. The overall acceptability score based on the 9‐point hedonic scale showed that smoked paprika (7.47) and spicy masala (7.37) corn snacks were moderately liked after reformulation. Spicy masala and smoked paprika corn snacks achieved acceptable JAR scores for brown color and gritty mouthfeel. None of the attributes, too little salty taste , sweet taste , and spicy aroma , was indicated for reformulations from the biplot analysis and mean drop rankings (mean drop 0.6–0.7) of the spicy masala corn snacks. Only a weak positive correlation (0.240) between salty taste and spicy aroma was the relevant correlation for the overall acceptability of spicy masala corn snacks. Standardized differences for too little salty taste , sweet taste , and spicy aroma ranged from 2.7 to 3.2, thus showing a strong to very strong significant ( p < 0.05) effect on overall acceptability. Survey results revealed uncertainty and neutrality toward the nixtamalization process and new products, but overall responses indicated growing acceptance, positive attitudes, and willingness to include yellow maize in newly developed products. These findings suggest that nixtamalized yellow maize snacks could contribute to food and nutrition security in South Africa.