What process is named as treating the corn in tortilla chips?

What process is named as treating the corn in tortilla chips? Nixtamalization.

Nixtamalization is the alkaline treatment used to prepare maize for many tortillas and tortilla chips. Dried corn is cooked and soaked in an alkaline solution, traditionally limewater, then washed and hulled before being ground into masa.

The process does more than soften the kernels. It loosens the outer hull, makes the corn easier to grind, improves dough formation, and changes the flavor and aroma. It also increases the nutritional availability of niacin and tryptophan, helping explain why this ancient technology was so important in Mesoamerican foodways.

Tortilla chips are commonly made by frying or baking pieces of corn tortillas, so the nixtamalization generally occurs earlier, during preparation of the tortilla or masa. This is distinct from caramelization, fermentation, and pasteurization. Corn chips may be made from cornmeal by a different process and should not automatically be treated as identical to tortilla chips.