Classification, nutritional and technological characteristics of cassava flour marketed in Belém, Pará, Brazil

Abstract The northern region of Brazil is a large cassava producer, and cassava flour has been handcrafted and consumed daily by the local population. This study aimed to classify and characterize nine different samples of cassava flour marketed in Belém-PA/ Brazil from a nutritional and technological point of view. The results were subjected to analysis of variance and the averages were compared using the Scott Knott test (p < 0.05). The flours were within the legislation in relation to moisture and ash contents, with high acidity, four out of nine flours evaluated had cyanide content between 15 and 31 mg HCN/kg. Regarding color and particle size, samples varied between yellow (67%) and white (33%); from coarse (67%) to medium (33%), respectively. From a nutritional point of view, the cassava flours are a source of dietary fiber (7.67% to 11.26%) and raw starch, which have satiety benefits. From the technological point of view, the flours are used as thickeners, producing pastes that are clear with a long and less firm texture. These variations in nutritional and technological characteristics allowed to verify that changes in processing are necessary to standardize the quality of flours used as a gluten free food ingredient.

摘要 巴西北部为木薯主产区，木薯粉由当地民众手工制作并作为日常食品消费。本研究旨在从营养与工艺技术维度，对巴西帕拉州贝伦市市售的9种不同木薯粉样品开展分类与特性表征。研究结果采用方差分析进行统计处理，均值比较采用Scott Knott检验（p<0.05）。所检测的木薯粉在水分与灰分含量指标上符合相关法规要求，且酸度较高；9份待测样品中有4份的氰化物含量介于15~31 mg HCN/kg之间。在色泽与粒度方面，样品分为黄色（67%）与白色（33%）两类，粒度则涵盖粗颗粒（67%）至中颗粒（33%）。从营养角度来看，此类木薯粉富含膳食纤维（7.67%~11.26%）与生淀粉，具备饱腹益处。从工艺技术维度而言，该类木薯粉可用作增稠剂，可制备出透明度高、质地细腻且黏性适中的糊状物。上述营养与工艺特性的差异表明，有必要优化加工工艺以标准化作为无麸质食品配料的木薯粉品质。