The objective of this work is to evaluate two thermal processes in order to obtain sugarcane (Sacharum ssp.) juice stable at room temperature in glass bottles. An experimental methodology was applied to obtain the best combination between pH and °Brix based on the sensory results. There was a tendency for a better sensory acceptance for pH > 4.0 and °Brix > 15. Two thermal processes were applied to sterilize the juice. Firstly, the juice was submitted to 141 °C /10 s, and then aseptically filled in glass bottles previously sterilized. In the second process, the juice was submitted to 110 °C /10 s and filled into glass bottles at 90 ± 5 °C. Physical-chemical changes, microbiological counts and sensory acceptance were evaluated during the storage at room temperature. The shelf life of aseptically processed juice was 30 days and 60 days for the hot filled juice based on the sensory evaluation. These results indicated that the hot fill process was more efficient for sugarcane juice preservation in terms of sensory acceptance and physical-chemical changes, probably because of the thermal inactivation of the enzymes.
sugarcane juice; aseptic packaging; hot filling; sensory analysis
