Physicochemical and sensory evaluation of the quality of crude palm oil (Elaeis guineensis) produced artisanally and industrially in Brazil

Palm oil is primarily used in the crude form in northeastern Brazil's cuisine. Most of its production is carried out by small manufacturers, who use the profits from sales as a subsidy to supplement their family income. Evaluating the physicochemical and sensory quality of palm oil is essential to help producers develop higher-quality artisanal products. This study aimed to analyze samples of crude palm oil produced and sold in the city of Taperoá (BA) and other industrialized brands sold in Salvador (BA). Seven palm oil samples underwent physicochemical analysis (acidity, carotenoid content, instrumental color, iodine value, peroxide value, Kreis reaction, saponification value) and sensory analysis (acceptance and ranking tests). Our findings revealed significant variation in the evaluated parameters, with most samples showing inadequate results for the regulatory parameters of acidity and iodine values, as well as unsatisfactory results for carotenoids and the Kreis reaction across all samples. Variations in color analysis were likely associated with differences in carotenoid content among the samples. The acceptance tests showed that most samples scored above average for all evaluated characteristics, except for the industrial sample from Taperoá (sample 06), which showed the lowest averages for color (4.5), odor (5.2), viscosity (3.2), and overall impression (4.3). In the ranking test, sample 02 from artisanal production (Taperoá-BA) was the most preferred in all categories, while sample 06 from industrial production (Nazaré-BA) was the least preferred in all categories. These results indicate opportunities for improving both traditional and industrial crude palm oil production methods, which could lead to an increase in income for the population that depends on this product.