[Rheological characteristics of tropical fruit products]

The rheological behavior of three commercially processed baby foods and four purees made from different tropical fruits was studied, utilizing a coaxial-cylinder viscometer at three temperature levels (20 degrees C, 40 degrees C and 60 degrees C). An analysis of variance was applied to the sample exhibiting more variability between tests, which, having resulted non significant, allowed to obtain average flow curves from all the available experimental data. The flow curves obtained were adequately described by means of the general power law, and were fitted to a pseudoplastic flow behavior by a regression. The consistency coefficient showed a decrease with increasing temperature, represented by a modified Arrhenius equation, whereas the flow behavior index did not vary significantly with temperature.