NUTRITIONAL COMPARISON BETWEEN YELLOW AND ORANGE PEACH PALM PULP FLOUR

Peach palm is a fruit widely consumed by the Amazonian population since childhood. Due to its high content of fibers, unsaturated fatty acids, proteins, carbohydrates, and bioactive compounds, it is of utmost importance for caloric and nutritional intake. Furthermore, the Amazonian regional tradition involves producing and consuming various types of flour to obtain products such as “farofa”, soup, bread, and cake. This study aimed to perform a nutritional comparison between two types of peach palm flour made from yellow and orange fruits. Both were analyzed for moisture, ash, lipid, and protein content using AOAC Official Methods, and carbohydrate content was calculated by difference. The results were expressed on a dry weight basis. Both yellow and orange peach palm flour were predominantly composed of carbohydrates (73.50% and 72.01%) and lipids (17.16% and 19.16%), respectively. The moisture content of the yellow flour (6.33%) was higher than that of orange flour (5.34%), as well as the ash (1.95% and 1.70%) and protein (7.37% and 7.11%) contents. Overall, the achieved results agree with those described in the literature, except for the protein content, which yielded higher values in our study. Given the nutritional richness of both types of flour, promoting the development of the peach palm production chain and the potential for use in formulating various high-value-added foods represents a significant opportunity for the native people and communities, increasing their household income while preserving the biodiversity of the Amazon region.