They create a flour tortilla that would alleviate malnutrition

04 MIN 00 SEC

REFORMA Group

Mexico City (May 13, 2025) - 1:45 p.m.

Biochemical engineer Raquel Gómez Pliego shows her flour tortilla, developed in the Industrial Microbiology Laboratory at UNAM's Cuautitlán Food and Agriculture Organization (FES). Credit: Carl de Souza / AFP

The flour tortilla developed by Gómez Pliego and his team is infused with probiotics and lasts longer without refrigeration. Credit: Carl de Souza / AFP

The creation of Gómez Pliego and his team could mitigate malnutrition and solve the shortage of refrigerators in communities like Oxchuc, Chiapas, where they preserve food by smoking it. Credit: Raúl Vera / AFP

Ninety-eight percent of the population in Mexico consumes tortillas, although the majority prefer corn tortillas.

Ninety-eight percent of Mexico's population consumes tortillas, although the majority prefer corn tortillas. Credit: Alfredo Estrella / AFP

Dr. Raquel Gómez Pliego hopes to find a partner interested in producing the tortillas. Credit: Carl de Souza / AFP

A flour tortilla infused with probiotics , developed by UNAM researcher Raquel Gómez Pliego , could alleviate malnutrition in poor areas of the country and solve the problem of rapid decomposition in places where refrigerators are a luxury.