Background and objectives: The effectiveness of calcium and magnesium, as CaCl 2 and MgCl 2 , respectively, to reduce acrylamide formation in tortilla chips fried in soybean oil during 30 s at 190°C was evaluated. Findings: Acrylamide was reduced 69%, 70%, and 74% by adding 0.04, 0.08, and 0.12 M of MgCl 2 solutions to prepare the masa, compared with the reductions in 52%, 67%, and 52% obtained using 0.04, 0.08, and 0.12 M of CaCl 2 , respectively. The color, oil absorption, and the fracture force of tortilla chips using CaCl 2 were similar to those of the control. In contrast, tortilla chips with added MgCl 2 were darker and not as hard as the control. Conclusions: The use of salts such as CaCl 2 or MgCl 2 is a reliable and effective acrylamide mitigation strategy in tortilla-chip production. Significance and novelty: The use of calcium or magnesium salts during masa preparation can be a simple, inexpensive, and effective way to mitigate acrylamide formation during the processing of tortilla chips and other thermally processed maize-based foods that are widely consumed by the population.
K E Y W O R D Sacrylamide mitigation, calcium, magnesium, tortilla chips