In the north of Brazil, cassava flour is produced in small-scale processing units called ´flour mill houses'. These processing units have difficulty in complying with current legislation due to processing methods and to poor sanitary conditions. The objective of this study is to evaluate the quality standard of cassava flour from the dry group, subgroup "fina", type 1. Ten samples of cassava flour were collected from the main supermarkets and free markets in Belém-PA, and the physical-chemical, microbiological and dirt research analyses were carried out. According to Regulation nº 554 from 08/30/1995 issued by the State Agriculture Secretariat, all cassava flour samples analyzed showed total acidity values above the permitted standard (3 meq NaOH/100 g) and five samples were below the minimum tolerance level required for starch (75%). According to Resolution RDC nº 12 from 01/02/2001 of the National Sanitary Control Agency, all cassava flour samples were under the acceptable standards for microbiological contaminants. According to Resolution CNNPA nº 12 from 1978, eight of the analyzed samples did not comply to the permitted standards because they showed dirt.
manhiot esculenta; starch; microbiology
