The cultivation of green coconut is expanding in the last years and at present it is observed a trend to an increase of the production of green coconut to obtain coconut water. This fact requires an offer to the coconut water market a product with great stability and shelf life. In this context, the purpose of this work was to compare the coconut water obtained by the Hot-Fill process at laboratory to other comercial coconut water subjected to different methods of preservation (cooling, freezing, aseptic filling in cartons and Hot Fill). The comparision between the samples of experimental coconut water preserved by the Hot-Fill process with the comercial samples showed differences in the physical chemicals and sensorial characteristics. The experimental Hot-Fill process used showed satisfactory microbiological quality and good sensorial acceptance by the taste panel, concluding that the association of time, temperature and chemical additives employed in the experimental Hot-Fill process were suitable to obtain coconut water with potential for the marked.
Cocos nucifera L.; commercial coconut water; "Hot-Fill"; sensorial avaluation
