CHECK-LIST OF TROPICAL FROZEN FRUIT PULP (YELLOW MOMBIN, CASHEW AND ACEROLA) PRODUCED IN THE STATES OF CEARA AND RIO GRANDE DO NORTE (BRAZIL)

Abstract

A survey was carried out to evaluate the situation of frozen fruit pulp producing industries at the States of Rio Grande do Norte and Ceará (Brazil), as for the applied Quality Control procedures for yellow mombin, cashew and acerola pulps and their characterization. The industries, which were selected, are registered in SEBRAE and MAA (Ministry of Agriculture). Standard questionaries were answered by seven industries. Seventy percent of the industries buy their raw material from other producers. Although the quality control procedures are taken over by the majority of the industries, they are limited to raw material and final product supervising. The main problems found for the three evaluated fruit pulps were: difficulties in selecting raw materials (fruits), fruit and pulp discoloration, fruit oxidation and lack of adequate equipment for an efficient process. The edict n. 1428 of the Health Ministry, on 26 November 1993, which recommends the implementation of quality systems for food processing industries, is not known by any of the evaluated enterprises.