Qualidade de derivados de mandioca produzidos em casas de farinha familiares do território de identidade sertão produtivo (sudoeste baiano)

Abstract

Cassava (Manihot esculenta crantz) is a tuber of great importance in human nutrition due to its great nutritional capacity, mainly because it is a great source of carbohydrates. In recent decades, its cultivation has been intensified, reaching production of more than 300 million tons per year. In Brazil, much of the production is carried out by hand in small rural flour mills, with the majority of these cassava processing units being located in the northeast of the country (About 48% of the total). Among the main derivatives of this crop, we have cassava flour and cassava flour, which are produced mainly by small farmers, the vast majority of whom face several structural challenges, a lack of technical guidance and regulatory aspects, which do not favor their production and commercialization. In this scenario, it became essential to evaluate and diagnose the physicochemical and microbiological quality of cassava flour and starch produced in the Caetité-BA region. 15 flour samples and 15 starch samples were analyzed, collected in 5 communities located in 3 municipalities in southwestern Bahia. The samples were taken to the Bromatology and Microbiology Laboratory of the Federal Institute of Education Science and Technology Baiano to carry out physicochemical analyzes that were carried out in accordance with the standards of the Instituto Adolfo Lutz (2008), AOAC (1996) and Silva & Queiroz (2009). Regarding microbiological analyzes, the guidelines in the Manual of Methods for Microbiological Analysis of Food and Water (2017) were followed. As physical-chemical analyzes of cassava derivatives were carried out, it was possible to observe that cassava flour and tapioca flour did not comply with the established standards, as well as the microbiological characteristics that showed contamination and therefore did not fit within the recommended limits. In view of this, it is correct to say that the production processes of these products need adjustments so that it is possible to produce more efficiently, safely and with hygienic and sanitary quality and thus boost the production and commercialization of these foods.