You're not going to like this answer. That taste (or smell) your getting is lye. Don't hold my feet to the fire, but, I vaguely remember something about lye being used in processing the corn. Maybe someone else can enlighten us on the subnject.

Bumping this back up ...

"My grandparents own a tortilla manufacturing company and I know from experience and personally preparing the mixes that the bleach smell comes from a dough conditioner called PZ-44. It's used to make the dough more pliable and easy to work with."

Did you find this answer? And the link below. Maybe this is why.

Here is a link that might be useful: PZ-44

Many years ago I lived in Ireland for most of my junior year in college. I lived on brown bread. The recipe was disarmingly simple (can't remember it now), but when I made it at home, back in CT, it reeked of ammonia. I never tried again.

Jo

Jo, welcome back.

I bought a box of El Paso taco shells once, opened them up and threw them out immediately. They smelled awful....so artificial, and chemically.

I had a store-brand box in the cupboard and they have no smell at all. Not only cheaper, but better tasting.

For clarification, Jasdip, et al: I'm only referring to FRESH ones. Sorry didn't think to mention that. Will ck. your link, Barnmom; thanks.

Oh, sorry arlinek. I mis-read. I was talking about the taco shells. And boy do they ever stink. Probably the same effect as the fresh tortillas.

I haven't noticed any smell with my tortillas that I use....again, just a no-name, store brand. I'll be watching though!

The lime in tortillas isn't citrus lime, it's mineral lime, calcium hydroxide. It can be a bit uhhh tangy? I don't know why some smell more than others.

I think it's a dough conditioner. Not the one I listed but ammonium sulfate used as a dough conditioner. It says it has no odor but how can that be?

Here is a link that might be useful: Food additives.

Corn tortillas, when they're old but not moldy, start to smell strongly
somewhere between latex paint and ammonia, because the lime (the
mineral, calcium hydroxide, sibling to lye) works on the proteins in the
corn and eventually breaks them down into ammonia and other compounds.
The same thing happens with stale alkaline noodles - fresh ramen
noodles, wonton noodles, etc.

Not sure that explains it, maleora. These are always fresh tortillas - very soft and pliable - not old or stale. It's got to be something in the preparation or ingredient process - maybe no mfg. company wants to 'discuss' it ...? When it has it, the ammonia odor is overwhelming - and it's distinctly ammonia smell - no stale or lacking freshness.

I tried a Google search.. Put in "tortilla smells" and Google suggests "like ammonia". There were no other or better explanations than what we have here from 2011 to now.

What I will add is that "fresh" tortillas might not be nearly as fresh as their appearance suggests if they were packaged, and if manufactured, you don't know how long the dough might have been sitting, or if there are other environmental bads, like sitting on a pallet in the sun for hours.

I find it's the taco shells that smell to high heaven. El Paso is one brand I'll never buy again.

ask MetaFilter

"Corn tortillas, when they're old but not moldy, start to smell strongly somewhere between latex paint and ammonia, because the lime (the mineral, calcium hydroxide, sibling to lye) works on the proteins in the corn and eventually breaks them down into ammonia and other compounds. The same thing happens with stale alkaline noodles - fresh ramen noodles, wonton noodles, etc."

US 6355289 B1

ABSTRACT

A liquid preservative solution and method for extending the shelf life of tortillas and like products made from corn flour or wheat flour is proposed. The preservative solution contains propionic acid, phosphoric acid and a substance for inhibiting the growth of yeast or bacteria. In a preferred embodiment the yeast and bacteria inhibiting substance is benzoic acid. The preservative solution is antimicrobial in nature, and delays spoiling by retarding or preventing the growth of mold, bacteria, and yeast. The preservative solution has a fresh slightly sweet after-taste.

I would check your packages for ingredients. Very different in the refrigerated section or those horrid ones just sitting on the shelf with such a long shelf life. The US patent above is in the shelf stable ones. (or what i saw in my market)

Like Pllog noted, nothing is really 'fresh' if it has additives to preserve it. That fresh flavor changes. I've googled in the past looking for the 'why' and many have searched and asked the same question. Just because they are soft and not moldy and well ahead of the sell-by date does not mean they have not started to change....

My International Market went bankrupt so i just make my own. I just threw out a package that DH bought. Horrible. Did not stink, just not worthy of the meal we made. One local bakery makes fresh ones but not a convenient stop.

When I (briefly) lived in Mexico, back when everyone who could went home for the big meal and siesta at 2:00 p.m., in advance of the meal one of the kids would be sent to the corner store (usually more like three blocks, but whatever) with a tortilla warmer (lidded dish) to get fresh, hot tortillas. Like made right now, not frozen and reheated in a steam drawer. Pan Bimbo (like Wonder Bread) was very popular, and was likely what grilled sandwiches for supper were made with, but tortillas, while usually bought rather than made at home by the middle class, were fresh. By next day they were considered too stale to be tortillas ("little loaves") and were gathered in the fridge until there were enough, torn up and fried as chilaquiles.

So are you saying they smelled by the next day (like ammonia?).

No. I'm saying that traditionally fresh is made an hour ago and the people who could afford it bought freshly made daily (my impression is that the poor generally made theirs at home or bought from neighbors making them in their homes, and the wealthy had hired cooks who may or may not have made the tortillas).

I frankly don't remember if they ever smelled, but I wasn't doing the cooking; I was living with and visiting locals. I'd guess that they didn't smell after several days in the fridge, but they also weren't sealed in ziplock bags, which keep the odor in.

lye? it could be

Was going to make healthy chips with organic corn tortillas I purchased(one ingredient is a touch of lime).....The smell is ammonia like, disgusting.

That 'touch of lime' is most likely lime, the citrus fruit. Not the calcium 'lime' that is used in the nixtamalization process.

Commercially made (mass-distributed) tortillas are almost universally Just Awful. Although the Tortilla Land brand are supposed to be good. I make good flour tortillas and would like to try the Tortilla Land corn tortillas but none of the stores in my area stock the corn ones.

I just made a Mexican lasagna. my son helped me by laying the tortillas in the pan. there were a few tortillas leftover and I put them in the fridge. EVERY time I opened the fridge after dinner it had a horrible odor..i went to get a tortilla out to heat and melt cheese on as a snack . it reeked to high heaven omg. then my son mentions well they did smell a little funny earlier! ugh so I made a big dish with smelly tortillas incidentally I realized this after he and my DH had a serving. they couldn't detect anything off as far as the flavor went. I threw the package away. the tortillas ONLY HAD A FEW INGREDIENTS which is why I purchased them. the ingredients are stone ground corn, water and trace of lime! I'm making my own next time it's quite easy. I use mass harina flour. oh also, the best buy date o. these was a tomorrow but we figured they would be ok....lesson learned....so annoying especially after investing the time in to making what would have otherwise been a tasty dish..

Even making your own, you may not be able to escape the lime. Found this online:

What Is Masa Harina?

Masa harina is a very soft flour made from finely ground hominy or dried corn kernels that have been cooked and soaked in limewater (a diluted solution of calcium hydroxide — not to be confused with water flavored with lime juice). It is this alkaline solution that gives corn tortillas and tamales their pleasantly sour flavor. Masa harina is like any other flour and is best kept sealed at room temperature. Because the corn has been treated with limewater, you cannot substitute cornmeal in recipes that call for masa harina.

Yes, the point is the nixtamalization, but making your own does give you some control over the smell.

Another thing to try is smelling the bag before you buy tortillas.

I've never found packaged corn tortillas worth buying. They're "raw" and have to be grilled anyway. Trader Joe's has a largish one that's whole wheat and corn flour (flour, not masa) that's really tasty though wildly inauthentic. They're the only packaged tortillas I really like. They're not brittle and weak like regular whole wheat tortillas, have more flavor, but aren't rubbery and smelly like packaged corn tortillas or gummy like white flour tortillas.

Interesting conversation. I don't believe I've ever noticed an off-putting odor. There is in interesting odor that I actually like and have noticed it in or around certain items -- straw or bamboo flip flops from China and a few other Asian goods. And, perhaps even tortillas. Nothing that I'd describe as amonia like.

Let's go on a sniffing field trip!

Meanwhile, here is an interesting video from the CIA showing how corn tortillas are made. It re Indus me a bit of making the Peking pancakes (easy and fun to do).

I googled this very thing today because it has happened to me before, and again last night! It only happens for me white white corn tortillas, the hard shell. We open a brand new box, put them in the oven and they smell so strong like burnt plastic or chemicals, and the taste is off. Man you can smell them a few feet away, not a natural smell. So disgusting

We stopped using El Paso shells years ago. Couldn't stand the smell of them. Chemicals galore. A store brand has no such smell and tastes good as well.

I find that tacos sometimes (and other corn products like popcorn) smell like the bottom of dogs' feet. I wonder if we are talking about the same smell.

Ha, ha, Jerzeegirl: that "famous" smell from dog's feet is often compared to the smell of popped corn ... and my dog has the same odor. But no, that is not the smell I find offensive - it's much more like ammonia, as mentioned.