Efeito do processamento sobre características de qualidade do suco de caju (Anacardium occidentale L.).

Abstract

During the industrial processing modifications in the components of the fruits that affect sensitively their property, like taste, smell and nutrition’s value usually occurs. Thus it is important to verify their variations under the influence of the operating conditions during the juice’s processing. The objective of the present work was to determine these changes carrying out a chemical and physics- chemistry characterization of cashew’s apple juice with high pulp content, in some stages of industrial processing. Three samples of cashew’s juice, collected after the stages of formulation, homogenization and pasteurization, were analyzed I order quantify pH, total soluble solids, reducing sugars, total sugars, non reducing sugars, water activity (Aw), carotenoids, anthocyanins, ascorbic acid and folic acid. To folic acid determination it was necessary to develop a specific analytical methodology due to the absence of literature about this juice. According to the results total soluble solids water activity, vitamins and pigments showed significant variations during the processing. The losses of ascorbic acid, carotenoids and anthocyanins were higher in the pasteurization stage. The folic acid showed a different behavior, significant variations were observed only between the stages of formulation and homogenization. These results shows that the vitamins and the pigments present in the fruits are changed during the manufacture of the juices due to their instability at high temperatures in presence of oxygen. The presented results can be useful to improve the industrial processing of fruits juices in order to minimize these losses since the substances related to the human health benefits that should be preserved always it is possible