Journal of Food Processing & Technology

Abstract

Effect of Pasteurization Temperature on Sensory Stability of an Acidified Sugarcane Juice Beverage

Mariana T Kunitake, Cynthia Ditchfield, Carine O Silva and Rodrigo R Petrus

To evaluate the impact of pasteurization temperature on sensory stability of sugarcane juice with passion fruit pulp, nine batches of sugarcane juice with 4 g/100 g passion fruit pulp were processed at (85, 90 and 95)°C for 30s, in triplicate). The pasteurized beverage was aseptically packaged in Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET) bottles and stored at 7°C in the dark. The beverage was characterized by physicochemical tests. Enzymatic activities of Polyphenol Oxidase (PPO) and Peroxidase (POD) were determined before and after processing. Coliforms and Salmonella counts were performed to ensure safety of the beverage safety. Psychrotrophic bacteria and yeasts and molds counts were carried out to assess the microbiological stability. Color parameters were measured in the processed juice throughout the storage period. A team of fifty panelists evaluated the appearance, aroma, flavor, and overall impression of the beverage using seven-point hedonic scale tests. Sensory stability was estimated by considering score averages above four and percentages of acceptance above 60%. The pH, soluble solids and titratable acidity of end product ranged from (3.96 to 4.19), (19.7 to 20.1) ºBrix, and (0.163 to 0.175) g/100 g citric acid, respectively. The three processing binomials were effective for PPO inactivation; however, complete POD inactivation was reached at 95 °C/30 s only. Coliforms and Salmonella counts were in compliance with Brazilian Regulations. The estimated sensory shelf-lives for sugarcane juice with passion fruit pulp processed at (85, 90 and 95)°C/30 s were (30, 40 and 50) days, respectively. Thus, the increase of temperature pasteurization had a positive effect on product’s stability.