An OPTIMIZATION OF THE FORMULATION OF AN ARTISANAL PINEAPPLE JUICE DRINK FOR STORAGE AT ROOM TEMPERATURE

Abstract

Pineapple juice is of great nutritional interest thanks to its richness in minerals and vitamins, and is also an interesting way of consuming the fruit. However, this juice constitutes an unstable aqueous medium as soon as it is extracted. For the longer conservation of pineapple juice, producers generally use the freezer or the refrigerator. The objective of this study is to propose chemical treatment processes for the conservation at room temperature of an artisanal pineapple-based drink. The methodology was based on the application of heat treatment (heating), acidifier (citric acid), antioxidant (ascorbic acid) and antimicrobial (sodium benzoate and/or potassium sorbate) alone or in combination. A study of the evolution of organoleptic, physicochemical (pH, titratable acidity and Brix degree) and microbiological characteristics over a period of 21 days was carried out.
The effective processes were those using a chemical antimicrobial preservative (sodium benzoate or potassium sorbate) alone or combined with the other treatments. Juices treated with potassium sorbate alone at 2 g/L showed better stability for 21 days and also better acceptability on sensory analysis. Potassium sorbate (2 g/L), an antimicrobial chemical preservative, can be proposed alone as an additive for the room temperature preservation of artisanal pineapple juice.