Establishing a standard for handmade Brazilian cassava flour from Baixada Cuiabana (Mato Grosso, Brazil) to support its processing and sale

Abstract The Baixada Cuiabana region contains the confluence of the Brazilian Savannah, Amazon and wetlands biomes. This region brings together small producers of cassava who prepare dry flour by hand, maintaining a bank of active ethno-varieties of this crop and that are of cultural, social, economic and genetic importance. This study aimed to establish a standard for the flour currently being processed and marketed. Thus, 26 samples were collected from seven municipalities of the region. At the time of this sampling, the predominant standard of the handmade cassava flour produced in Baixada Cuiabana was Dry group, Medium class, yellow-colour, of Types 1, 2 and 3. Using the Hunter Lab colour system, the predominant colour was found to be yellow with red or green tonality, with one sample artificial colorant. Consumers recognize granule size and colour as the main parameters that determine purchase of the product. Seven samples from four municipalities were classified as Out of Type, because they presented values in disagreement with legislation that could result in difficulties in valorisation and sale in the legal market.

摘要：库亚巴低地（Baixada Cuiabana）区域为巴西热带稀树草原、亚马逊雨林与湿地生物群系的交汇地带。该区域聚集了一批手工制作木薯干粉的小型种植户，保留了该作物的活性乡土品种资源库，这类品种具备重要的文化、社会、经济与遗传价值。本研究旨在为当前加工并流通的该类木薯干粉制定统一标准。据此，研究人员从该区域7个市镇采集了26份样本。采样时发现，库亚巴低地生产的手工木薯干粉的主流产品规格为干型组、中等品级、黄色，涵盖1、2、3型。采用亨特Lab色彩系统（Hunter Lab colour system）检测发现，主流产品的色泽为带红调或绿调的黄色，其中1份样本添加了人工着色剂。消费者将粒度与色泽视为决定该产品购买意愿的核心参数。来自4个市镇的7份样本被归类为不合规格（Out of Type），因其检测值不符合相关法规要求，这可能导致其难以在合法市场中实现增值与销售。