The present work aimed at evaluating the microbiological and physicochemical quality of fresh cut sugar cane juice. Sugar cane stalks were cut in pieces of 60 cm of length, sanitized, and conditioned in polyethylene packaging of low density. Each package conditioned 12 pieces of sanitized sugar can. After that, they were stored at three different temperatures: room temperature (22-25 °C), used as control, refrigeration (4 °C), and freezing (-20 °C). The microbiological and physicochemical quality of the juice was evaluated every 6 days of storage for 24 days. The sugar cane juice stored under freezing temperatures presented good quality for all microbiological and physicochemical parameters during the period evaluated. On the other hand, the sugar cane stored juice under refrigeration and the controls presented high microbiological alterations reducing their period of conservation to 12 and 6 days, respectively. It can be conclude that the most efficient treatment for the preservation of the fresh cut sugar cane shelf life was under freezing temperature.
fresh cut sugar cane; juice; shelf-life
