CHARACTERIZATION OF TORTILLA CONSUMERS IN ESTADO DE MEXICO

Tortilla is considered the principal food of Mexican people; it provides energy because of its high carbohydrate content and contributes calcium, potassium, phosphorus, fiber, proteins, and some vitamins. The objective of this study was to characterize the tortilla consumers of Estado de Mexico in order to identify the type and characteristics of the product that they demand, and to quantify the correlation of these aspects with the levels of income and consumption. The methodology consisted in the CHAID (Chi-squared Automatic Interaction Detection) algorithm and association tests through the chi(2) distribution, and the estimation of an ordinal regression model. The information was obtained through a semi-structured survey applied to 269 individuals. To analyze the information, contingencies tables and relative frequencies were used, and the coefficients that were significant for the model estimated. The analysis showed that the mean income and consumption are positively and significantly correlated (74.7 %) with the consumption of tortilla made with boiled maize (nixtamalizado) and with the preference for white maize (81.85 %), and the high income with mean consumption is significantly correlated (66.7 %) with the purchase at the neighborhood tortilla shop.