Caracterização de farinhas de tapioca produzidas no estado do Pará.

Tapioca flour is a typical food produced from cassava starch (Manihot esculenta Crantz), widely consumed in the Amazon Region. The aim of this study was to characterize two tapioca flours produced in Pará State, Brazil one in the West Region and other in Bragantina Area. Both tapioca flour presented distinct particle-size distribution and significant difference (P 0.05) for majority of the physico-chemical and technological parameters. Flour from West Region presented high moisture (10.7%), this due the greater capacity of water adsorption, attributed at its high specific area (smaller particle-size). The optical microscopy with polarized light and the technologic properties of the products did not showed a standard process for the production of tapioca flour. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]