Botanical quality controls and labeling of products derived from tropical fruits, Jujuy, Argentina
FRUTICULTURE | Gimenez, L.A.S. - Vignale, N.D. - Gurni, A.A.
Tags: diagnostic elements, quality controls, safety, contamination
Food quality studies are important to verify authenticity and investigate foreign matter. The objective of this work focused on applying the characters of diagnostic value of the fruits of papaya, fig, mango and tree tomato, for botanical quality control and comparing the labeling of derived products with current legislation. 23 products (industrial and artisanal) acquired in San Salvador de Jujuy were analyzed using scraping micrographic techniques, mild dissociation and combined histochemical reactions. Diagnostic characters (polygonal epidermal cells, tecting hairs, glandular hairs, fibers, sclereids, crystals, laticiferous tubes, starch grains, lipid droplets and seminal hairs) were identified in jams, jelly, sweets, chutney, artisanal wine, candied foods and fig coffee which confirm the presence of the raw material, in correspondence with the specifications of the Argentine Food Code (Chapter V). Of the industrial products, 70% were genuine and 30% were contaminated, while in artisanal products, 92% were genuine and 8% were contaminated. Regarding labeling, 70% of the industrial products met the specifications and 30% did not. On the other hand, only 31% of the artisanal products met the specifications, while the remaining 69% did not. The micrographic method constitutes a reliable strategy to confirm the added value that said quality implies in local preparations in the province of Jujuy.