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.

Passiflora edulis Sims, “maracuyá” (passion fruit), is a globally consumed tropical fruit that can be eaten raw (fresh) or processed. The aim of the current work is to establish its micrographic diagnostic values, permitting botanical quality control to be carried out of commercial products derived from the fruits, thereby incorporating added value. Micrographic techniques were applied such as mild dissociation (5% NaOH at 100° for 5 min), scraping and a histochemical reaction with dissolution of Lugol for starch. The micrographic features found were unicellular, conical, rigid hairs wide at the base (70.75 µm), groups of irregular-shaped sclereids (25.08 µm), clusters of calcium oxalate (17.17 µm), thickened parenchymal cells and starch grains (8.37 µm), the final item comprising a complementary reference used only when no thermal actions were involved in product elaboration. Columnar sclereids are also present in the seeds. Most of the products presented botanical quality, with the exception of one in which characters of diagnostic value of the fruit of the pear were identified. These are indispensable characters for verifying the true nature of foods made with "passion fruit".